Lost Sisters Return
by Lizzie Leigh
Summary: COMPLETE- Max is living a life she always wanted, but she never discovered the fate of two of her sisters. Now they are back and things are quickly spinning out of control. Original Char X5218 and others. ML pairing.
1. Something's Missing

Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel but the OC's are mine and so is thestory line!

This fic is set after the series and after the two books. If you haven't read the books I suggest you do they are awesome. There is a prequal book andtwo sequal books.I take characters and explanaitions of how things went down from both books so if you haven't read them there will be some stuff that doesn't fit. Ask me if you have any questions.

This chapterrecaps the series and the books a little before getting into the good stuff.

I love getting reviews good or bad so let me know what you think! hope you like it and no onto the story!

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Max stood looking out the window of her penthouse apartment. She gazed over Seattle watching the sunrise over the Emerald City, and thinking about what she had accomplished since her escape from Manticore when she was 9.

She had found her way to Seattle when she was 19. At first she had come to the city looking for her brother Seth, but had found a normal life along the way.

She met her best friend Original Cindy (OC) on the way up. Once in Seattle she got a job at a bike messenger company called Jam pony. Max had found a family with OC and all of her Jam pony friends.

For the first time in her life, she had friends, a kick ass apartment, a steady job, and a normal routine. She supplemented her meager income with the not so legal hobby of cat burglary and life was good.

One night she robbed this very apartment, which belonged to the rich liberal cyber journalist named Logan Cale. She discovered that Logan was the underground cyber journalist called eyes only.

Max eventually joined Logan in his fight against wrongdoing, and he helped her find her brothers and sisters who had escaped with her.

After a year she was caught by Manticore after an attempt to take it down went sideways. Eventually she escaped again burning Manticore to the ground and freeing all the transgenics in the process.

Unfortunately before being destroyed the people at Manticore further screwed up her life by making her the carrier of a virus to kill Eyes Only, who remember is the man she loves Logan Cale.

Then the new bad guy in her life reared his ugly head. Special Agent Ames White was assigned to clean up the Manticore mess. Little did the government know that he was involved in an ancient breeding cult bent on the destruction of the transgenics and especially Max.

He eventually went against the FBI and let the cat out of the bag. The fact that transgenics were out in the world had reached public ears. The ordinaries (normal people) persecuted Max's people and drove them underground.

They set up camp in an abandoned sector of Seattle called terminal city. Jam Pony became the transgenic underground helping transgenics throughout the city get to the base and to send in supplies.

One day a few transgenics, a lizard man named Mole, a gentle giant dog man named Joshua, and 2 X5's were caught out in the open. A police standoff broke out at jam pony.

Max and the transgenics thwarted White's plans to make the situation turn out badly. They made it back to Terminal City and stood their ground.

The siege at terminal city, as it came to be called, lasted about 6 months. After the siege Max and her people became an accepted and productive part of society. A fellow X5 named Alec was elected to city counsel and the tension between the ordinaries and the transgenics dissipated.

In Max's personal life things were going even better. A cure was found for the virus that kept her and Logan apart. They became engaged and were married 3 years ago. Max and Logan hung up their "saving the world" superhero suits and settled down to start a family, although a few Eyes Only cable hacks brought down bad guys every once in a while.

Now max had everything she could ask for. A wonderful husband, a penthouse apartment with a stunning view, a beautiful 2 year old daughter (named Evelyn after on of her sisters), and peace of mind knowing that Evee would grow up proud of who she is and be accepted.

But something still pulled at Max's heart. She had been able to find out what had happened to all of her siblings, all except the two closest to her.

Max had never found out what had happened to her sisters Leigh and Jondy.

Leigh was an experiment that Lydecker himself came up with. She was born when the rest of the X-5 group was about 4. The point of the experiment was to see if she would have accelerated development when placed with the group of older kids.

Max saw Leigh for the first time at age six. Jondy and Max were already the closest of the X-5 group. Max watched as the guard ushered the frightened little 2-year-old girl with a head of hair (hair was unusual bc they all had buzz cuts) into the barracks (sleeping quarters).

The small girl had light brown shoulder length hair and small brown eyes. She stood there alone as the guard left, thumb in her mouth. She didn't wear the grey gown they all did and was dressed in something Max was unfamiliar with.

She knew they were civilian clothes, but until now all Max had seen were the grey gowns, the cameo military clothes, and the jumpsuits the janitors wore.

The soft pink of the girl's ruffled shirt with the cartoon looking black and white dog in the center was the brightest thing in Max's blue grey world, and the black pants with white paw prints only made the small girl look more foreign.

In her free hand the small figure clung to something that was also foreign to Max, a stuffed white rabbit. The small girl silently looked around the room her eyes meeting all of the X-5's. She looked at Max the longest and Max felt as if the girl's gaze went right through her.

The small figure took a step toward Max and was immediately surrounded by the other X5s. All of the kids just looked at her. Then one of the boys, Jack, grabbed the rabbit and tried to take it from her.

A look of panic came across her face and the hand that was previously in her mouth latched onto the animal while the other hand tightened its grip.

"Mine!" a small voice cried as she looked Jack right in the eye.

"But I want to see it!" Jack said giving a tug.

"NO!" she said as she pulled the toy away from the boy and hugged it tightly, her thumb right back in her mouth.

Jack opened his mouth to say something but he was silenced by Zack the group leader. Zack bent down to the girl's eye level.

"What's your designation?" Zack asked in a clam quiet voice.

The little girl didn't say anything and Zack asked again a little harsher. The girl moved her hair off the back of her neck, where her barcode was, and turned around showing it to Zack.

"Your designation is 218?" Zack asked as she turned back around.

She nodded. Before they could introduce themselves Lydecker came into the room.

"Tension!" the officer with him said.

The kids lined up facing Lydecker at attention. 218 turned to look at who came in but didn't move.

"At ease" Lydecker said and the kids stood at ease.

He stood behind 218 "Listen up!" he boomed "this is X5-218. She is part of your unit now and is to be treated as such."

He motioned to the man behind him and the man brought in a cot and put it at the end of the row of cots already there. He went back out of the room and brought in a footlocker placing it at the foot of the bed.

"As you were" Lydecker said and the two men left the room.

The group of kids once again huddled around 218.

"Well 218, since your part of our unit now you need a name." Zack said.

218 removed her thumb from her mouth and said "218."

"No," Zack replied "218 is your designation. Now you need a name."

218 looked up at Zack expectantly. Max leaned over to Zack

"What about Leigh?" She suggested.

"What do you think 218? Is Leigh okay?" Zack asked.

218 thought about it for a second and then nodded her head in agreement and smiled.


	2. The N Word

Ok here's the next chapter hope you like it!

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From that day on Max, Jondy, and Leigh were inseparable. They always stayed by each other and always watched out for one another during training.

At first Leigh was quiet and shy, but as her bond with Max and Jondy grew she became more confident and outspoken.

Two years later her fierce loyalty to Max and Jondy and her blatant disregard for the authority of the people outside her unit became clear.

This presented a problem for Lydecker.

When asked to do something by a higher ranking officer, instead of a 'yes sir' Leigh looked toward Max or Zack before obeying. Then the day came when her lack of obedience became intolerable and forced Lydecker to take action.

One morning the unit of X5s went out into the yard for escape and evade exercises. As always Leigh had her white rabbit with her. That day there was a new instructor who had not yet been briefed on the special circumstances that came with working with Leigh (like her non-issue clothes, although she had the training cameos on, and the fact that she was allowed to have the rabbit with her).

The man stormed over to Leigh.

"What is this soldier?" he barked as he grabbed the toy.

"Give it back! It's MINE!" Leigh yelled reaching for it.

The man looked at Leigh infuriated by her insubordination. Leigh looked toward Max with pleading eyes.

Max stepped up to the man "Sir if I may explain..."

"No you may not!" He roared and pushed Max to the side.

He waved the bunny in Leigh's face and continued to yell. The youngest X5 didn't hear a single word he said. Rage filled her small form and she was not fighting to keep it in check.

This guy had pushed Leigh to the edge and when he pushed Max that was it, the gloves were off. This guy needed to be taught a lesson. Leigh grabbed the officer's wrist and jabbed his elbow, bending it the wrong way with a loud snap.

The man howled in pain and looked at her shocked. She looked right back at him fury dancing like flames in her eyes.

"DON'T PUSH MAX!"

She then kicked him, her foot connecting solidly with his shin. Leigh picked up her bunny and stood next to Max. The yard immediately filled with guards, the X-5's quickly circled around Max and Leigh.

The guards lined up in front of the group and two of them went to help the officer. Lydecker came into the yard. He looked at the X-5's then at the instructor.

"What happened here?"

One of the guards came over and talked into Lydecker's ear.

"I see," Lydecker said calmly as he walked toward the X-5's "tension!"

They all lined up except for Leigh, she just looked up at him.

"I SAID attention 218"

She gave him one more look and stood at attention but did not join the line. (she is the only one not really afraid of him)

"Did you strike the Major?" he asked.

"Yes" Leigh replied.

"Yes what?" Lydecker questioned.

"Yes I did." Leigh answered.

"218... Yes WHAT!" he was beginning to lose what little patience he had.

"Yes... Please?" Leigh said smirking. (she is a bit of a smart ass even at four)

One of the kids behind her giggled.

Lydecker's tone turned harsh "This is NOT a laughing matter. Yes WHAT 218?"

Leigh let out a big sigh and rolled her eyes "Yes SIR! I struck the Major SIR!"

"And why did you strike the major, 218?" He asked.

"Because he took my bunny and he pushed Max!"

The kids behind her gasped and Lydecker's eyes filled with rage. They all knew that you had to use designations when talking to anyone outside the group. Lydecker knew about the names they called each other but none had dared to use them in front of him. None but this small girl.

"Who did he push?" he said fighting to keep the rage out of his voice.

"Max!" she yelled.

Zack stepped forward "She means 452, sir."

"I know who she means 599. Now 218, last chance. Who did he push?" his voice was loud and harsh.

Leigh didn't even blink.

"Max" she said coolly."

"Go back to the barracks." He said as he turned to go inside.

Leigh was only in trouble at this point but the next word out of her mouth held terrible consequences.

"NO!" she yelled at his back, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting.

Lydecker stopped walking.

"What was that?" he asked without turning.

"I said no... sir." she said mocking their earlier argument.

That was it. Lydecker had snapped. He stormed over to Leigh and grabbed her by the arm. He dragged her over to one of the guards.

"Corporal take her inside now!" he ordered.

"Yes sir!" he grabbed her arm as she fought to get free.

She knew she was in big trouble and a sudden fear overwhelmed the four year old.

_What if they give me to the nomlies?_

She fought harder to get free. She looked at Max

"MAX!" she screamed her eyes pleading for help.

Max just stood there wishing she could do something, anything to help her little sister. But she knew she had to stay where she was.

The guard pulled Leigh to the doors. Leigh was now crying

"Max! Max! MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX!" she yelled as they vanished into the compound.

Tears came to Max's eyes and she willed them not to fall. That was the last time Max ever saw her baby sister.


	3. A Girl and Her Dog

Big thanks to my two reviewers. I love hearing from my readers.

All disclaimers apply.

Here's chapter three!

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Max was pulled out of the flashback by a pair of strong arms wrapping around her shoulders. She closed her eyes and relaxed into the warm embrace of her loving husband Logan Cale.

The familiar scent of his cologne engulfed her as she turned to face him.

"I love you." she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and stared into his blue/green eyes framed by his glasses.

He flashed his perfect white smile at her and replied "I love you too."

The doorbell rang and they both tensed facing the door.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Max asked Logan.

"No. You?" He asked.

She shook her head no. Max crept toward the door and looked at the monitor next to the door. The image on the screen was a familiar face and Max immediately relaxed and gave Logan the ok signal.

She opened the door and was greeted by a greasy haired lanky bike messenger named Sketchy.

"Sketchy" Max said letting him into the apartment. "What brings you our way?"

"Hey Max. I have a package for ya." Sketchy said handing her a clipboard for her signature.

She signed it and handed it back to him "Who's it from?"

"Dunno, it's still in the elevator hold on."

He left and Max looked back at Logan. He gave her a questioning look and she just shrugged. Sketchy came back to the door with a beagle trotting behind him and lugging a medium sized animal crate (dog carrier) in his arms. He set down the crate next to Max and handed her the leash.

"Here you go."

"Someone sent me a dog?" she said eyeing it suspiciously.

"Yup and they sent this too." he dug around in his bag and pulled out a DVD, handing it to Max "Well I gotta split see ya Max."

He turned to leave and Max followed him into the hall.

"Sketch you can't just leave this here."

He turned, walking backward toward the elevator with a mischievous grin on his face "Sorry Max you signed for it."

Sketchy turned back around and stepped into the elevator. Max sighed and sauntered back into the apartment. Logan was kneeling on the floor petting the dog with a big grin on his face.

"I am glad to see someone is happy about this." she said putting her hands on her hips.

"I used to have beagles as a kid." Logan smiled as he stood up.

Max waved the tape in front of him. "Well let's see who it's from."

She handed him the disc and sat down on the couch. Without warning and much to her dismay, the dog jumped up onto her lap.

"I don't think so Fido." Max hissed as she pushed him onto the floor.

The dog gave her a sad stare as Logan sat next to her.

"Max you are so cold. How can you not love that face?" he tapped his lap and the dog jumped up and immediately snuggled into Logan.

Max just shrugged "Too much feline DNA I guess."

Logan hit play on the remote and the T.V. came to life. The screen lit up and showed a very homey yet elegant looking living room. Two voices could be heard in the background.

"Ok Mel, You got it?"

The camera jostled a bit before steadying.

"Yes, Elizabeth, for the 100th time I got it!" Mel retorted.

A teenage girl stepped in front of the camera.

"It has to be perfect" the girl, Elizabeth, reiterated, adjusting the camera.

Elizabeth then left the room and came back with the dog, who was currently dozing on Logan's lap.

"Snoopy!" Mel called in a sing song voice from behind the camera.

Snoopy immediately ran toward the camera and then disappeared from view.

"Snoopy NOOOO!" Mel laughed unseen behind the camera.

Elizabeth ran toward the camera but not in time to stop it from crashing to the floor. The camera recorded a very large dog nose sniffing the lens, and there was a roar of laughter in the background.

Mel picked up the camera, and Elizabeth noticed the flashing red light.

"Oh crap it's recording. Turn it off!" a giggling Elizabeth screamed and the screen went black.

"Someone was having fun" Logan laughed.

The picture came back on and he was promptly shushed by Max.

Elizabeth and the dog, we now know as Snoopy, were sitting on the plush couch. She looked to be about 15 or 16 (she's 18 but looks young.) She was sporting just shorter than chin length light brown hair and bright brown almond shaped eyes framed by designer glasses.

Now that Max studied Elizabeth's face it looked very familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

Back on the screen Elizabeth took a deep breath and finally began her message.

"Hi Max! It took me FOREVER to find you. I saw you a while ago on TV when you were in the police standoff at Jam pony. I've been following the news about it ever since. I wanted to come out to Seattle that nigh but my parents... um the family I have been staying with said I had to finish high school first. Well now I have and I'm coming to see you. My friend Melanie wants to come too so we are going to make it a cross country road trip. I got your address and found out that you live in the same building as my cousin and her family. I drive a motorcycle so I had our luggage sent to her apartment, but they are out of town. I think they went to Paris for the summer. Anyway, I couldn't send Snoopy there so I sent him to you. Everything he needs and instructions on his routine are in the crate. We'll see you in a couple of days."

She stopped talking and Mel's voice whispers from behind the camera.

"Uh Liz, you didn't tell her who you are"

"OH right" Liz looked back into the camera blushing.

"It's Leigh, X-5 218." she turned around revealing her barcode.

Mel zoomed in so it could be read, and Max gasped.

"See you soon!" Liz/Leigh said excitedly.

The camera went out leaving a black screen and a speechless Max with tears running down her face. "Leigh."


	4. Seattle

All disclaimers apply. Don't forget to reveiw, it only takes a second and it makes me post chapters faster.

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Max sat there stunned, tears silently running down her cheeks. Snoopy licked her face and she pat his head still staring at the blank screen.

"Max" Logan said in a soft voice "Who is Leigh?"

"She was the baby of our group at Manticore. She was a lot younger than us as an experiment in accelerated development. But..." Max choked on her words and more tears rushed down her face.

"But what?" Logan coaxed wrapping his arms around her.

"She was really headstrong and wouldn't follow orders. One day she flat out said no to Lydecker. He decided that her bond with us was the problem and took her out of the group. I haven't seen or heard from her since that day. Until now." Max rewound the DVD and paused on Leigh's face.

"She has changed so much." Max said, leaning her head on Logan's shoulder.

-------------

"COME ON MEL! HURRY UP! We were supposed to leave over an hour ago!" Liz shouted as she strapped on her helmet.

The helmet was black with a pink lizard on the side. She took off her regular frames and replaced them with Chic black framed sunglasses with rose colored lenses.

"MEL!" She yelled again.

"I'm COMING!" a voice shouted inside the hotel room.

Mel came out and handed Liz a bag to strap onto the bike. As Liz strapped the bag on Mel pulled up her medium length brown and red hair and put on her helmet.

Liz got on her black Ninja 650 with pink shaded chrome plaiting. As Mel was getting on the bike Liz thought she saw someone watching them from the corner of the diner across the street, but when she looked there was no one there.

Mel grabbed Liz's waist as Liz revved the engine and they peeled out of the lot toward Seattle.

-2 days later at Max's apartment-

Max Flipped through the photo album she had just finished putting together, and laughed to herself when she saw the picture of Alec being sworn into public office. She never would have guessed that the fast talking smartass she met when she was at Manticore would ever be serious enough to become a city rep for the transgenics.

Max was pulled out of her thoughts by the doorbell.

She darted over to the door and swung it open with a big smile. Her smile faded when she saw that it wasn't Leigh, it was just Original Cindy.

"Oh it's just you." Max said as she let Cindy in.

"Well it's nice to see you too." Cindy said in a tone dripping with sarcasm.

"I just thought it was Leigh."

"I know." Cindy answered, wrapping Max in a tight hug.

"I really appreciate you coming over to keep an eye on Evee, and taking her for tonight." Max said as she closed the door.

"No problem. I know how much tonight means to you." Cindy smiled.

-Across Town-

Mel leaned up against Liz's bike as Liz looked around the streets and back to the open map in her hands.

"I have NO idea where we are." Liz sighed as she walked back over to her bike.

"I told you we should have asked for directions at the last sector checkpoint." Mel lectured.

"We made it all the way across the country only to get lost ten minutes from Max's apartment." Liz said folding the map back up.

Alec stood there watching the two girls from behind a fruit stand and was about to go play the role of hero, when the girl holding the map walked back to the bike.

She looked a bit young but was very sexy. She wore a tight pink midriff shirt that showed off her very toned stomach under a black leather jacket that reminded Alec of the one Max used to wear.

Her jean capris dipped low and hugged her hips but were baggy the rest of the way down to the halfway point of her calves that were as toned and tanned as her navel. She completed the look with tennis shoes, no socks, and black rimmed sunglasses with rose lenses.

Alec was admiring the girl's face and trying to come up with a good line, when the girl's piercing brown eyes locked with his. Anger flashed across her features and Alec ducked around the corner knowing he had been busted.

Liz looked past Melanie's shoulder and saw a man watching them from behind a stand about ten feet away. She thought back to the hotel when she thought she saw someone watching them and anger boiled up inside of her.

The man ducked behind the cart and Liz scanned the area for anymore men watching them, half expecting a tact team to be on them in seconds. She put the map down and turned to Mel.

"Wait here!"

"Why?" Melanie asked confused.

"Just stay put and if anything happens go to Max's" Liz ordered as she walked away.

Mel looked in the direction Liz was going, trying to see the danger that was so obvious to Liz's keen eyes.

Liz got to the cart and dashed around the corner, pinning the hiding man to the wall with her arm pressing against his windpipe.

"Who are you and why are you following us?" She demanded applying more pressure to his throat.

"Whoa calm down. I wasn't following you!" he said as he put his hands up.

"Then why were you watching us?" Liz spat.

"I just got off work at Jam Pony," he gestured to the building down the alley, "and saw you and your friend trying to figure out where you were and I was just..."

He stopped and Liz pressed on his neck "Just WHAT?"

"Checking you out ok." he replied.

Liz loosened her grip and stepped back. "You work at Jam Pony?"

"Yeah"

"Do you know Max Guivera?" Liz questioned.

"Of course I know Max." he answered rubbing his neck.

"Could you tell us how to get to her place?"

"Better I'll take you there myself. Just let me get my bike." he said as he turned to go down the alley.

"Hey wait what's your name?" Liz shouted after him.

"Alec" he said not turning.

"I'm Liz" she yelled smiling.


	5. Introduction, Introspection, Instability

Don't forget about the disclaimers! and PLEASE review!

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--Later at Max's Apartment—

The doorbell rang and for the second time today Max darted across the room to answer it. She opened the door to a grinning Alec and proceeded to close the door just as he started to utter a greeting.

Alec was a total smartass, which is how he got his name, and Max really didn't want to deal with him today.

"Very funny Max." Alec's voice shouted through the thick wood of the door.

Max just stood there as he knocked.

"C'mon Max, let me in."

"Go away Alec. I am expecting someone, and she doesn't need to meet you." Max said as she started to walk away.

"Well if her name is Liz then it's too late. I already met her and she almost kicked my ass." He chuckled. "As a matter of fact she reminds me a lot of you when we first met."

Max swung open the door.

"You met her? Where is she?" Maxquestioned, pulling the fellow X-5 into the apartment.

"Relax, she got lost on the way here and happened to ask me for directions. She and her friend are downstairs getting settled and they will be up in about a half hour." he said as he pried his jacket out of Max's grip.

A half hour later Liz stood outside Max's apartment, butterflies fluttering furiously in her stomach. She was about to ring the bell when she turned to Melanie.

"Do I look okay?"

Mel looked at her friend's outfit (same as earlier) and her styled hair as Liz turned around in a circle.

"For the hundredth time you look fine, but you do need a touch up on your barcode before we go anywhere." Mel replied, motioning to the faded black lines on Liz's neck.

Liz nodded and reached for the bell again.

"What if she doesn't like me or doesn't even remember me?" Liz asked nervously.

"You remember her so she should remember you, and we'll never find out if she likes you unless we actually make it in the door."

Liz reached for the bell for the third time but still hesitated, her finger hovering in front of it.

"Oh for goodness sake!" Mel said as she pushed the bell.

Lizshot her a look of panic and Mel shook her head.

"Relax Liz."

The door flew open and Max and Liz just stood there staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Liz was about to say something when Max wrapped her in a tight hug.

"Well I guess she remembers you." Mel said with a giggle.

Max took a step back "Of Course I remember you. How could I forget?"

They once again just looked at each other taking everything in. Mel cleared her throat.

"Um can we come in or are we just going to have this reunion in the hall."

"Oh right come in. Come in." Max said and let them into the apartment.

Snoopy came running over to Liz as soon as he saw her, leaping into her arms and smothering her face with beagle kisses.

"Well hi. Someone missed me." Liz said putting him on the ground.

As soon as his paws touched the floor he went over and greeted Melanie.

"He wasn't any trouble was he?" Liz asked, concern creeping into her voice.

"Oh no, he wasn't at all. I was a little surprised when they dropped him off, but he is a great dog. He loves Logan and kept the baby busy."

"Baby?" Liz asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yup you're an aunt" Max said smiling.

She led Liz and Mel into the living room where Logan, Evee, Cindy, and Alec waited, Snoopy right on Liz's heels.

"Leigh this is my husband Logan, our daughter Evee, my very good friend Original Cindy, and you already know Alec" Max said gesturing to each person accordingly.

"Hi, I'm Max's sister Leigh and this is my friend Melanie."

Everyone said their hellos and Cindy left with Evee as the rest of the group sat down to dinner.

Max explained everything that had happened to her after the escape and there was a short silence before she asked "So what happened to you after they took you away that day?"

Leigh sat for a moment gathering her thoughts and then began to tell the story.

"For about a week after it happened they put me in one of the empty barracks by myself. Then they tried to put me with another unit. I was so mad at Lydecker for separating us that I flat out refused to do anything at all, and I kept picking fights with the other kids. That lasted till about two weeks before you guys escaped. I snuck out one night and tried to find you guys but didn't make it very far. After that the directors considered me a liability and I ended up by myself again. The night you escaped I heard a gunshot in the hall but I couldn't see what it was. Then the alarms went off so I ran over to the window. I saw a unit smash out of the window. When you looked back at the building I saw it was you guys and tried to get the window open, but they reinforced it so it wouldn't budge. I tried the door, the vents, everything, but nothing worked. So, I Just curled up in the corner and cried all night hoping you would come and get me but you never did."

Liz stopped for a second.

"If I knew you were there I would have come for you but as far as I knew you were gone." Max said in a regretful tone.

"I know. The next day I found out that 12 of you had escaped including you and Jondy. I was so happy for you. By the end of that week I had had enough of Manticore and was pretty much a terror. I don't know if I scared Lydecker, but I sure scared the board of directors. That's when they brought in Renfro."

Liz shuddered at the name and Max leaned forward in her seat.

"Renfro, as in Elizabeth Renfro, who took over for Lydecker when they got rid of him?"

"I don't know, but she was horrid. She made my life a living hell. Lydecker didn't even hold a candle to her. Even though we all hated him, Lydecker actually cared what happened to us. Renfro just saw us all as meat that was expendable. You know how they used to break in wild mustangs?" Liz asked.

Everyone nodded and she continued her story.

"Well that's what she tried to use with me, nothing but mental games and physical punishment. I took that abuse for an entire year before I snapped. We were outside doing an exercise and I just left."

"You left?" Max said looking at Liz in disbelief.

She nodded "Yup. My aunt used to work for Manticore. She picked me up and sent me to live with her sister on the east coast, and that's where I stayed. Well, until I found you that is."

Liz finished her story and got blank stares from everyone in the room.

"Wow. You never told me it was that bad." Melanie whispered shocked at what her friend had gone through.

"Well ya, but that's all in the past now." Liz said looking at Max with a smile.

The rest of the dinner consisted of normal chit chat about work and school, and Liz was very impressed with Logan's culinary skills. She picked up her glass, but her hand started shaking and she quickly put it back down.

Max, Logan, and Alec didn't seem to notice, but Mel shot her a sharp questioning look.

"I'm fine." Lizmouthed to her.

Mel was about to say something when Snoopy ran up to Liz and barked.

"I think someone has to use the restroom." She said as she stood up. "Where should I take him?"

"Take him up to the roof. We have a little yard up there." Logan said.

"Thanks. Let's go." Liz picked up Snoopy's leash. "Be right back."

The X-5 walked up the stairs to the roof, Snoopy pulling on the lead. She reached the roof and smiled when the warm air hit her. Liz dropped Snoopy's lead and he darted across the roof to the grass.

The young transgenic sat down and leaned back, gazing at the stars in the night sky. Suddenly Snoopy started barking and came running to her, placing his paw on her leg. That was Snoopy's alert when Liz was about to have a seizure.

"Oh no, not NOW, please not now!"


	6. They WHAT!

Thanks again for the review lol. Her aunt is her step mom's sister. And I think that manticore fixed Max's seizure problem when they recaptured her because she never has that problem again after season one.

All disclaimers apply and don't forget to review!

* * *

Liz got up and ran over to the door. As soon as she grabbed the knob her whole body began to shake. She slid down the wall next to the door, leaning her back up against it. Liz pulled her knees to her chest, bracing herself for a full blown seizure.

Snoopy barked and pawed at the door. The panicked girl reached up and opened the door before the seizure shook her violently. Then she slipped to the ground unconscious.

Snoopy stayed by his master's side until her body stopped shaking, then he took off down the stairs.

Max, Logan, Alec, and Mel sat there in an uncomfortable silence, as they awaited Liz's return.

"So Melanie, does Liz have a boyfriend?" Alec asked with a smirk.

"Alec!" Max cried hitting him in the chest.

"Geez take it easy Maxie. Never mind."

Max turned to Mel "She sure has been up there a long time. Do you think we should..."

Her voice was cut off by Snoopy's frantic barking outside the door.

"Oh no!" Melanie said getting up and running over to Liz's purse.

"What's wrong?" Max questioned as Melanie dumped the contents of the purse on the floor.

"Snoopy is a seizure alert dog. She must've had a seizure and passed out. He's trained to go get someone when she does." Mel explained as she rummaged through the things on the floor.

Her hand closed on a syringe and a key.

"Logan, go down to the apartment and bring back the yellow duffle bag by the door. Max and Alec you come with me."

Mel opened the door and Snoopy immediately jumped on her.

"Show me!" She said pointing out the door.

Snoopy barked and ran down the hall with them at his heals. They followed him up to the roof and found Liz by the door. Mel turned her over onto her back and put her ear by Liz's mouth.

"She's not breathing!"

"I got it!" Alec said as he kneeled down next to Liz.

Mel got up and went to the other side of her friend taking the cap off the syringe. Alec tipped Liz's head back and blew two puffs of air into her lungs. Melanie found the vein in Liz's arm and injected the clear liquid as Alec continued CPR.

"What is the stuff?" Max asked hovering behind Alec.

"It's Tryptophan it helps with ..."

"With the seizures" Max said cutting her off.

"I used to take it." Max explained after Mel gave her a confused look.

Just then Liz started coughing and then breathing normally.

"Let's get her downstairs" Max said opening the door.

"Right." Mel agreed.

Alec gently picked Liz up and they all went back down to the apartment where Logan waited for them. Logan was just opening the dog with the yellow bag at his feet. Alec laid Liz down on the couch and Melanie tore open the duffle.

She pulled out an IV and a bag filled with the same clear liquid as the syringe on the roof. She tossed it to Max.

"Put this in."

Max nodded.

Before she could even begin to do anything Liz began seizing again. The violent quaking shook her frame. She looked so small and vulnerable as the peak of the tremor gripped her.

Max sat on the couch and cradled Liz's head as it subsided.

"Are they always this bad?" Alec asked as the seizure finally stopped.

Max started putting in the IV as Mel answered him.

"Sometimes they get a lot worse. If she has an asthma attack during the seizure it is really bad."

"She has asthma? I thought Manticore got rid of all that trivial stuff. Has anything else ever complicated the seizures?" Max asked.

A couple of times she has actually broken bones from falling or hitting something during the seizure. One time her brain swelled and she was in a coma for three weeks."

Everyone just looked at Liz's friend, amazed at this new information.

"Let's hope this isn't one of those times. Logan said finally.

--2 days later—

Max sat on the floor, with her head down next to Liz, sleeping. Liz had not yet awoken. Logan just finished replacing the Tryptophan and walked back into the kitchen.

Liz began to stir, waking Max. The young X-5 moaned and raised her hand to her head. Max leaned over her as her eyes began to open.

"Max?" Liz said groggily as she looked at the blurry figure in front of her.

She blinked a few times to clear her vision and Max came into view.

"Hey you." Max said with a smile.

"What happened?" Liz asked trying to sit up.

Her head pounded and dizziness overcame her so she decided it would be better just to lay back down.

"You were up on the roof with Snoopy and you had a seizure." Max answered pushing a strand of stray hair out of Liz's face.

"Right. Now I remember." She said rubbing her temple "Where is Snoopy?"

"Mel and Cindy took him and Evee for a walk." Logan said walking in with a tray of tea.

"Hey Logan" Liz said with a small smile.

"Tea?" Logan offered, holding out a cup.

"Sure." Liz accepted, slowly pushing herself into a sitting position.

She took a sip of the hot liquid and felt it slide down her throat.

"So, how long have I been out?" She asked setting down the tea.

"Two days." Logan said as he sat down.

Just then the phone rang.

"I got it." Max left the room to answer the phone.

A second later, she came running back into the room.

"We have a problem! That was Cindy. They were on their way back to the apartment building and saw a bunch of GI's swarming the building. She asked one of them what was going on and he said they were looking for you." Max's voice was full of panic.

"What?" Liz gasped her eyes wide as saucers.

"Wait here. I'll go check it out." Logan said.

He left and Max quickly packed up Liz's stuff. Liz made an attempt to stand but her legs refused to hold her and she fell back onto the couch.

"We've got a problem here."

Max looked up at her.

"I can't even stand, how are we going to play a round of escape and evade with a bunch of GI's?"

"Well we're going to have to think of something because we're not going to just let them have you."

Logan came back with a grim look on his face.

"They're on the 5th floor, and they're checking each apartment systematically. They have all the exits the stairwell and the elevators stopped. We could take the hidden staircase but we still wouldn't be able to get out of the building."

"You said they were on the fifth floor?" Liz asked.

Logan nodded.

"My cousin's apartment is on the 2nd floor if we go down the stairs we can hide out there and wait it out."

"Liz you're a genius." Logan said.

Max shouldered Liz's bag and grabbed her purse.

"Logan you're gunna have to carry her down."

Liz climbed onto Logan's back and the three of them headed down the stairs to her cousin's apartment.

When they reached the 2nd floor, Max carefully opened the door and surveyed the hall.

"Looks clear. Let's go."

Everyone stepped into the hall. It was completely deserted. The door was at the far end of the long hall and they had to get to the other end to reach the safety of the apartment. The trio was halfway there when the sickening sound of the ding of the elevator stopped them dead.

Max ducked behind a door frame and Logan just started walking again. Liz buried her head into Logan's jacket hiding her face.

Three soldiers and a woman filed out of the elevator in front of them. Logan stopped walking and smiled at the group in front of him.

"Officers." He said with a nod.

"Sir where are you coming from?" The soldier in front asked.

"We were at Doc Williams' apartment down the hall. My daughter wasn't feeling well. We were just heading back to our apartment, #201, right up the hall."

The soldier looked at Liz intently. "What's wrong with her?"

"She has asthma and she had a really bad attack."

The soldier looked at Logan with scrutinizing eyes.

"Can you prove that?"

"Sure." Logan said calmly.

He shifted Liz's weight and pulled her inhaler out of the front pocket of the yellow bag, which Max had given him before ducking out of sight.

The GI looked at the canister and handed it to the woman behind him. She looked at it and handed it back to Logan.

"Sorry we bothered you." The woman curtly apologized.

Both Max and Liz jumped at the sound of her voice. Both of them would recognize that voice anywhere.

It was Renfro!


	7. A Race Against Time

As always a big thanks to my one reviewer.

Its amazing that out of more than 100 hits and 3 people who have this story on their alert list I only get one review from the same person, who I adore by the way, on each chapter. Hmm isn't that weird? I think so.

All disclaimers apply andplease tryto review!

* * *

Logan felt Liz stiffen slightly and tighten her grip on his shoulders. Knowing something was up; he put the inhaler back in the bag and walked past them as quickly as he could without raising suspicion.

He had only taken a few steps when Liz heard one of the soldiers whisper to Renfro.

"Ma'am look!"

It was then that Liz felt a slight breeze on the back of her neck and remembered what Mel had said a few days ago.

"Oh God!" She gasped, just loud enough for Logan to hear.

"What?" Whispered Logan.

"One of them saw my barcode!"

Logan quickened his pace. The main soldier stepped forward from the group.

"STOP!" he ordered.

Logan turned around.

"What seems to be the problem guys?" he said with a nervous laugh.

"Hand over the girl and we can settle this peacefully."

Logan set Liz down. She stood with the support of a doorframe and Logan planted himself between her and the men.

"I don't think that is going to happen… Max!"

Max jumped out from her hiding place, her foot connecting with the closest soldier. He went down hard. Renfro glared at the X-5.

"452." she said condescendingly.

"Renfro, I thought you were dead." Max spat.

Renfro simply smiled smugly, andturned to the main soldier.

"Slone, take care of her."

She then pointed to the remaining soldier who was helping his fallen comrade up.

"You get the girl."

Slone advanced on Max slowly.

Max laughed and donned a sly smile.

"Do you even know what I am? You're gunna be on the floor in a second flat."

"I know what you are Max, because I'm one too."

With a lunge form the bulky soldier, Slone and Max were locked in combat. The two transgenics matched each other blow for blow.

The first soldier Max hit lunged at Logan, keeping him busy as the other one advanced on Liz. She pushed her self off of the frame taking a battle stance. Her legs quivered as she awaited his move.

He lunged and she gingerly sidestepped and planted a roundhouse kick solidly on his back.

At the same time Slone's roundhouse kick connected with Max's chin, sending her to the floor. Slone turned around and grabbed Liz around the waist and threw her over his shoulder.

Liz kicked and pounded on his back with her fists, but in her weakened state it was futile. The soldiers, Renfro, and Liz disappeared down the stairs as Logan and Max struggled to their feet.

After a few long seconds, Max finally made it to her feet and took off after them.

She burst through the door into a back alley just in time to see Liz be thrown in the back of an SUV at the corner. Liz saw Max and frantically called out to her before the door was slammed in her face.

Max watched Renfro and Slone climb into the vehicle and drive off.

--------

As they drove away panic and fear gripped Liz. This was her worst nightmare. The two men who were in the back with her struggled to control the young X-5 as she bitterly fought to free herself.

Whenthey reached the outskirts of Seattle, the men were bewildered when their captive froze in her seat, staring out the front window with panicked eyes.

A new fear held Liz in its icy grip. At that moment her chest began to feel tight and she had to start gasping for air.

"Oh God!"

Thetwo soldiers looked at her concern creeping into their eyes.

The younger one, who was sitting to her right, asked. "What?"

Liz tried to calm down and steady her breathing but was unsuccessful. Her inability to get air made her panic even more.

"Asthma attack . . . I can't . . . breathe." The clearly terrified girl answered between gasps.

The young soldier moved up to the front and leaned in between the seats.

"Ma'am we have a problem back here."

"What is it!" Renfro snapped.

"The target is in respiratory distress."

"What do you mean?" Renfro asked turning to face him.

The soldier gulped and answered quietly. "An asthma attack Ma'am."

Renfro turned around in her seat and glared at Liz, who now had her hand on her throat and was still trying to calm her breathing.

"You really have asthma?" Renfro questioned in disbelief.

Liz nodded her head.

"What do you take for it?"

"Albuterol." Liz answered.

"You wouldn't by some miracle happen to have your inhailer with you?"

"It was... in the bag... remember. I see...you haven't... gotten... any smarter with age."The transgenic quipped, rolling her eyes.

After glaring daggers at the X-5, Renfro turned back to the soldier.

"There is oxygen in the back. That will have to do for now."

The soldier got the oxygen, turned it on, and handed the mask to Liz. She took a few deep breaths and it helped a bit so she started to relax as much as her current situation allowed.

-------------

Max rushed back upstairs to the apartment. She tore through the room looking for her keys and cell phone. Logan raced in after her.

"What are you doing Max?"

"Going after her! What do you think?" Max snapped at him frustrated.

She stormed into another room.

"How do you plan on doing that? They are long gone, you don't know where they are going, and you don't even know who's responsible."

Max stopped and glared at Logan.

"What do you mean? It was Renfro that means Manticore!"

She found both her keys and phone and rushed toward the door. Logan grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him.

"We don't know that. Manticire has been gone for years and what would they want with just Liz? Something just doesn't add up."

Max stared at Logan. What he was saying did make sense. He pulled her into the office.

"Let's get some more information, some backup, and maybe a plan, then we'll go after them."

"Fine" Max sighed.

"But make it quick."

-------------

It had been over an hour and the oxygen tank that was stabilizing Liz's breathing was almost gone.

The younger soldier, who Liz had learned was called Gunny, looked at the air gauge. He met Liz's questioning gaze with a look of concern.

"Ma'am this tank is almost empty and we still have a solid three hours before we get back to base."

Renfro cursed under her breath and leaned over to Slone.

"We're going to have to take a detour."

"Where to Ma'am?" Slone asked.

"The hospital off 86."

"Yes Ma'am" Slone answered.

Liz slipped the mask off her face.

"How . . . far away . . . is that?" She asked still struggling for air.

Gunny pushed the mask back up over her mouth and nose.

"About twenty minutes."

Liz nodded, leaned back, and closed her eyes, focusing entirely on her breathing.

-----------

Halfway to the hospital the oxygen ran out.

Panic once again overcame Liz as she gasped for air. She was slowly being choked to death by her own body.

Beads of sweat formed on her skin and she was beginning to feel light headed and tired from the lack of oxygen.

The X-5 grabbed Gunny's hand and held on tight while Slone pushed the vehicle on faster and faster racing against time.


	8. The Escape

As always a big thanks to my one reviewer. I love ya lots! 

Again I must say that its amazing that out of more than 100 hits and 3 people who have this story on their alert list I only get one review from the same person, who I adore by the way, on each chapter. Hmm isn't that weird? I think so.

All disclaimers apply and pleaseplease pleasereview!

* * *

When they finally arrived at the hospital they rushed to the ER.

Liz collapsed in the parking lot and Gunny rushed past the others, holding her limp form in his arms.

He stormed into the ER and laid her down on a gurney while yelling to the staff.

"I need a doctor over here. She's not breathing!"

Slone, Renfro, and the other soldier came in and with guns drawn ordered everyone to leave but a few of staff members. The patients and people in the waiting room ran for their lives out the double glass doors.

The doctor and three nurses who stayed looked at the guns terrified but shook off their apprehension and went over to Gunny and Liz.

"What happened?" The doctor asked starting CPR.

"She had an asthma attack and we didn't have an inhaler."

By the fourth set of compressions Liz coughed and again began gasping for air. The nurse put on an O2 mask and the doctor listened to her lungs.

"What does she take for it?"

Gunny looked at Renfro. She nodded and he answered.

"Albuterol"

The doctor turned to the nurses "I need a 17 gram dose in with the O2."

Fifteen minutes later Liz had completely stabilized and was beginning to wake up. As soon as she realized where she was she pulled off the O2 mask and jumped to her feet, landing ready for a fight.

"218 calm down. You're not going anywhere." Renfro commanded.

Slone went to grab the X5's arm. She pulled out of his grasp and backed away from him. The so far nameless soldier grabbed Liz from behind. She elbowed him in the stomach and turned around, hitting him in the jaw with a hard right hook.

Liz then turned to bolt through the door, but Gunny blocked the way.

"Move or I will go through you! I appreciate what you did for me, but I'm not going back there!" Liz yelled hoping she could avoid hurting him.

But Gunny didn't move. She went to hit him but he blocked the blow with amazing ease. Surprised, Liz tried again and he blocked it again.

They went a few rounds attacking and defending. Neither of them could best the other.

Slone took advantage of Liz's distraction, grabbed a syringe, and filled it with a sedative. He grabbed her arm and injected the orange liquid.

"NO!" Liz screamed and pushed him away.

But it was too late. The drug was running through her body. It only took a few seconds to start taking effect. She staggered backwards, running into the wall. The young woman felt her body becoming numb and her mind getting fuzzy.

She glared at Renfro as she slid down the wall to the floor.

- 3 months later-

Max sat on the couch watching Leigh's DVD for the millionth time in the past few months. Snoopy snuggled in closer to her and she stroked his soft ears.

Melanie had long since gone back to Ohio and Logan had decided to keep the dog around. The little Beagle that Max had once considered a nuisance had become a comfort and a ray of hope in the search for her little sister.

Renfro's trail had gone cold after Max and Logan tracked them to a hospital a few hours outside of Seattle off route 86. The search was still ongoing.

That's where Logan was at the moment, back at terminal city coordinating the search effort.

They had recently gotten a lead on a military convoy transfer that was going down that day in the late afternoon, and Logan was checking it out.

The phone rang but Max ignored it and kept watching the screen. A few minutes later the gentle giant known as Joshua came into the room.

"Little fella?" He said gently, not wanting to interrupt her.

"What is it big fella?" Max said with a smile.

She loved the nicknames they had for each other.

"Max that was Logan. He found out that the military convoy is carrying an X-5."

Max stood up, causing Snoopy to fall off the couch.

"Does he think it's Leigh?" She asked coming off a bit more desperate than she would have liked.

"Don't know but we're gunna hit it and find out."

"Who's we?" Max asked the dog man.

"Umm. . . Me, you, Logan, Crit, Sil, and Alec. Logan wants us to go to terminal city and come up with a plan."

"Okay let's go." Max said heading for the door.

Joshua paused looking at Snoopy, who was looking up at him with sad brown eyes.

"Uh Max... Leigh back home with us. That's the plan?"

"Ya big fella, that's the plan."

------------------------------

Liz sat on the floor of the transport van. Her mind was a little groggy and her body was weak from a drug they gave her, but that didn't stop her from glaring at the guards in front of her on the other side of the van.

For the hundredth time since they left the base, she pulled on the chain that tethered her to the bar beside her. The sound it made was an ear piercing screeching sound.

Renfro finally completely lost her temper in the passenger seat.

"218! WOULD YOU STOP THAT!"

Liz smiled and pulled even harder increasing the volume of the horrible sound.

"Nope, I don't think I will."

Renfro turned to face the rebellious X5.

"This is the reason we were forced to take this trip. If you weren't such a discipline problem you could have just stayed at the main facility, but no you have to be a pain in the ass."

Ever since they had reached -I- Corp's (the new Manticore) main location, Liz had been nothing but trouble.

Everything they could come up with to retrain her, she had destroyed in less than a few days. Any punishment they thought of she endured, refusing to let them break her.

Renfro continued her little outburst.

"At least Max pretended to go along with it, but you! You're impossible! If it wasn't for your unique genetic makeup they would have just reprogrammed or terminated you by now."

Liz stopped pulling against the restraints.

"What do you mean 'unique'?"

"You and Max are the only two transgenics, the only two living beings on the planet that have absolutely no junk DNA. On top of that, your DNA is a triple helix."

"A triple helix?"

"Yes, you are the most advanced genetic experiment Manticore has ever successfully preformed. With the exception of your attitude, you are the perfect transgenic." Renfro explained as she turned back around.

"Well excuse me if I want to be treated like a real person, instead of just a string of data in some lab!" Liz snapped at the back of Renfro's head.

---------------------

Joshua waited patiently as the first two cars of the convoy passed him. When the third vehicle, a van, went by an explosion stopped the procession.

Joshua sprang out of his hiding spot on the side of the road and pulled open the driver's door. He catapulted the driver into the woods. Gunfire erupted as the soldiers filed out of the vehicles and the others attacked.

A second explosion tore apart the last car.

Joshua tore off the back door and tossed the two guards out of the way. Both of them landed in a crumpled heap about 10 feet away.

----------------------

An explosion rocked the military convoy and the van came to a screeching halt. All Liz could see was the wall of black smoke that engulfed the air in front of the vehicle. She instinctively hit the floor as gunfire began.

When the doors to the van were suddenly torn off the X5 pulled her head down and covered the back of it and her neck with her arms.

Liz turned to face the man that now tore the chains that held her from her wrists. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the bright sunlight and she found herself staring into a face she would recognize anywhere.

"Joshua!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him.

She buried her face into his shoulder and let a few tears escape as he lifted her up. Joshua carried Liz out of the van only to be face to face with Renfro. Joshua growled and Liz looked up at her with a defiant glare.

Renfro's eyes did not hold the usual malicious stare but a look of sympathy.

"I'm never going to change you 218, am I?" Renfro questioned sharply.

"Not while I'm still breathing." Liz quipped.

"Then go back with them. But take this."

Renfro handed her a black business card with a white phone number. Liz stared at her blankly and nodded before Joshua turned to leave. Renfro slipped into the woods.

Manticore guards circled around Joshua and Liz. The X-5 asked him to put her down. He did as she asked, but she wavered a bit when he let go.

"You okay kid?" Joshua asked concerned.

"Okay enough to kick their asses."

With that said the two super soldiers separated with a nod and began their attack. Joshua took out the first two with a swipe of his arm, while Liz took out the one closest to her left with a roundhouse kick.

They quickly finished off the remaining soldiers and took off toward the woods as gunfire erupted from behind. Joshua knocked Liz to the ground, but not before a biting pain tore through her left shoulder.


	9. Brennemen Manor

first off I would like to give the same big thank you I always give toMari83for being my best reviewer. And this time I need to give a big thank you to Chimera452Bastfor being the only one of you other readers who was kind enough to review.

to answer a few questions: I corp is from the video game, I fixed the two name errors for Krit and Syl, we'll find out about the soldiers later, and normal DNA is a double helix and if you pull it straight it looks like a ladder 218's dna is a triple helix which would be a ladder but with an extra vertical piece running up the center so basically she has twice the genetic material that anyone else has.

All disclaimers apply and please please please review!

* * *

The young X-5 screamed in agony as they hit the ground. 

Alec came up behind the gunman and sent him off to dreamland. Joshua kneeled next to Liz once he was sure the gunfire had stopped. Liz turned over so that she was on her back and screamed as Joshua put pressure on the wound.

"Max come quick! Alec, get the first aid kit!" the big fella yelled.

Max was almost immediately at his side. She lifted up Joshua's hand and looked at the wound. Alec finally showed up with the first aid kit.

Liz screamed again as Max tilted her up to look at her back.

"I need the saline and the gauze. The bullet went clean through and the wound looks superficial, but I can't be sure."

Max poured the saline into the wound evoking another scream from the young X-5. Max bunched up some of the gauze and gave it to Alec to put pressure on the exit wound, while she used the rest on the front.

Liz grabbed Max's free hand.

"Max… Sorry I caused so much trouble."

Max gave her a stern look.

"Don't ever be sorry. None of this is your fault, it's theirs and you should never apologize for them."

Max tightened her grip as Liz's body went limp.

"Leigh!...Leigh!"

"Don't worry Max, she just passed out. The bleeding stopped. I think she's going to be fine." Alec said calming Max.

They wrapped up Liz's wound and headed to a safe house left over from the Eye's Only era. It really wasn't much of a safe house, just a medium sized cabin a good mile away from any frequented roads.

Krit and Syl stood guard outside, keeping watch for any unwanted company. Inside the cabin, Max and Logan were working to clean out and stitch up Liz's wound.

The bullet had gone through and it really wasn't all that bad. What worried Max the most were the harsh bruises and cuts that littered Liz's body and the few broken ribs. Max knew the cruelties of being back at Manticore first hand.

When the job was done Logan joined the others in the main room and Max stayed with her little sister.

A tense two hours later, and Liz had finally woken up.

At the same time Alec came back from a trip into a nearby town with some bad news. Apparently Manticore was not going to be as understanding as Renfro was about 218's need for freedom.

They were continuously running something similar to an eyes only hack every 30 minutes.

It included a picture of Liz and a $500,000 reward.

Max shrank down next to Liz on the bed.

"This is a nightmare. We're not going to be able to go back to the apartment or even to terminal city. That will be the first place they look."

"We better give them a heads up." Alec proposed pulling out his cell.

"Good idea. I'll call Cindy and ask her to get some stuff from the apartment that we'll need." Logan added also pulling out his phone.

Max waited until Alec finished. "Do we know how far the broadcast goes?"

Alec thought for a second.

"Well it's broadcasting on SNN west so… at least the entire western United States." He answered a bit sarcastically.

Liz finally spoke up. "I know it's a bit extreme, but we could go back to my house in Ohio."

Everyone just kind of stopped and looked at her blankly.

She blushed nervously and held up her hands in surrender. "Or not… Forget I said anything. It was a stupid idea."

"Now hold on, that may not be such a bad idea." Logan said drawing his own odd looks.

"Slow down; before you condemn the idea think of the upside of this. Ohio is a very long way from here, so we wouldn't have to worry about Manticore. Liz would be safe until we figure this thing out. It could… be like a vacation."

Alec laughed. "Ya, a long ass drive across the country and then hiding out in some small ass town. That sounds like so much fun."

Liz crossed her arms and glared at him. "Where I'm from isn't that small, and the drive here was fun. It was like a big game of escape and evade."

"Well this time it isn't going to be a game." commented Syl, who was standing in the doorway.

Max smirked and glared at Alec "I've always liked escape and evade."

Everyone seemed to be on board with the idea except for Alec. He looked around and finally gave up.

"Hell, who knows maybe Ohio will be fun."

-------------

Many days of driving later, Alec sat in the backseat of Logan's SUV loosing yet another game to Liz on her PS3. Snoopy barked as Liz gave the killing move and Liz laughed.

"You owe me another $5 Alec."

Max turned around in her seat in the front.

"How much is that now Alec? $120, $130?"

"Actually, it's more like $155." Liz said as she collected her five dollars and added it to her decent sized bank roll.

"Oh yeah, this is tons of fun." Alec said sitting back in his seat.

Everyone in the car laughed and Liz restarted the game.

-------------

A few hours later, Liz and Alec were fast asleep in the back seat. The two X5s could not have looked more peaceful. Snoopy was sprawled out on Liz's lap, Liz was leaning into Alec using his shoulder as a pillow, and Alec had his head rested on top of Liz's.

Logan slowed the car as they exited the interstate and approached the entrance to Liz's hometown. It turned out that not only was the town a lot smaller than they thought, but it was a ritzy gated community.

Logan stopped the car a few hundred feet before the guard station.

"Well what do you think? Is it safe to go through?" Logan asked Max.

"I don't see why not. We can always just high-tail it out of here if it gets complicated."

Logan nodded in agreement and moved the car forward. "Do you think we should wake them up?"

Max glanced back at the sleeping X-5's. Snoopy cocked his head at her from his spot on Liz's lap.

"No we'll let them sleep."

As they pulled up to the guard station Logan rolled down his window. The guard on duty greeted them with a friendly smile.

"Good evening to yuh."

"Evening." Logan replied with a grin.

"Please state your business, hand over your guest passes, and I'll have you on your way in no time."

Logan fumbled with his words for a second before Max leaned over and addressed the guard.

"We are here with Elizabeth Brennemen."

She gestured to Liz, sleeping in the back "She called ahead yesterday and said you would have our passes."

The guard looked at his guest log. "Oh yes here you are. Miss Elizabeth requested 8 guest passes."

He pulled out the envelope and looked through the packet.

"Alright I have passes for a Mr. and Mrs. Logan Smith, and a child's pass for a Miss Evelyn Smith?"

Logan smiled. "That would be us and our daughter, who is in the car behind us."

The guard handed him the group of passes. "And here I have a pass for an Alec Smith?"

"That's my brother-in-law." Max answered pointing to Alec.

The guard nodded and handed Logan the pass.

"The last four I have here are for a Cynthia Cross, a Sylvia Andrews, a Kristipher Andrews, and a Joshua Canum?"

"They are in the car behind us." Logan replied.

"Alrighty then here is the sticker for your vehicle, and you are going to be heading to the Brennemen Manor. Go down this road, keeping to the right, at the 3rd light you'll see the manor on the left. The barcodes on your passes will open the front gates and the staff will take care of you once you reach the main house. If you'll pull through, I'll give these passes to your friends, and you can be on yur way."

Max and Logan thanked him with a smile and followed his directions to the manor.

------------

Alec had woken up just in time to see the big house sitting on the hill as they drove through the front gate.

"Damn! THAT's her house? Why the hell would she want to leave all this for Seattle? Man, I vote we stay here."

Max laughed. "This coming from the guy who didn't want anything to do with this trip."

They parked the cars in front of the house and everyone stared at the manor in awe. Before they could even begin to do anything they were greeted by the staff, which began unloading the cars.

Everyone just kind of gawked at Liz and she could only shrug.

She told the staff where to put everyone's luggage and gave them specific directions about what to do with both her and Max's bikes. She told the man to be very careful unloading them and to put them in her private garage.

Krit's mouth dropped open. "You have your own garage?"

Liz blushed. "C'mon I'll show you the house."

The butler opened the door and nodded to Liz and her guests. "Miss Elizabeth."

"Thank you Alfred."

Alec stifled a laugh. "You're butler's name is Alfred?"

Liz looked at him puzzled. "Yeah so?"

Alec laughed again. "Batman?"

"Come on you have to have seen Batman." Alec prodded when he didn't get a response.

Alfred gave a chuckle, but Liz still had a blank look on her face.

"Never mind." Alec said shaking his head.

"Nice to meet you Alfred. I'm Alec."

The butler nodded and Liz introduced the rest of the gang.

By the time they had finished the tour of the house, the cars were unpacked and Liz had shocked everyone with her nonchalant attitude toward her opulent home.

The group walked into the guest foyer, which was on the second floor. Everyone but Liz gasped at the view.

The property behind the manor was breathtaking.

The first thing that could be seen was the Italian tiled patio, complete with bar and giant hot tub, and a huge pool that looked more like a tropical oasis. Past that were huge gardens, and then the landscape faded into a pond and a beautiful wooded area.

"How much land does your family own?" Logan asked equally impressed with the grounds.

"Umm well I think the manor has about 5 acres, and the estate has, I dunno, 140, and the house is a half acre lot I think."

"Wait! You mean there is More?" Syl gasped.

"Man girlie, you got quite a spread don't you!" Original Cindy said draping her arm over Liz's shoulders making her feel less awkward.


	10. Party Time

As always the first thing I do with the new chapter is give a big thanks to the two of you who actually review. I love hearing your input and your thoughts on the chapters!

All disclaimers apply and please try to review! It really would mean a lot to me!

Onto the chapter!

* * *

Liz hardly touched anything at dinner, and Max noticed the girl's hands trembling before Liz hid them in her lap.

Max hadn't known this grown up 218 for long, but she was worried. Although Liz put on a good act this wasn't the unshakable X-5 Max had known back at Manticore.

As much as Liz tried to hide it, Max could tell something was wrong.

When she pushed the issue Liz simply shrugged it off and quickly changed the subject. Max finally gave up and decided just to talk to her about it later.

Before she got the chance Melanie and another girl showed up. With a huge smile Liz introduced Mel to those she hadn't met and introduced the new girl to everyone.

The girl's name was Kim. She was tall and slender with fair skin and long dark brown hair. A little quiet at first, in no time it was as if they had all known Kim their entire lives.

The pair had brought with them several movies, games, and an array of sweet and salty snacks. Among the games was Cranium Turbo, an older game that Liz absolutely adored. The group paired up as follows, Logan & Max, Kim & Liz, Krit & Syl, Joshua & Alec, and O.C. & Mel, and began the game.

--------

In a matter of a few rounds everyone was laughing and smiling. Maxgrinned as she took in her surroundings. Her family and friends were gathered around the center coffee table in the opulent living room.

Everyone was having a great time and there was no distinction between those with barcodes and those without. Even Melanie and Kim were completely relaxed around the transgenics, including Joshua. Although both girls kept an eye on Alec who was shamelessly checking them both out.

This was how everything in the world was supposed to be. No looking over your shoulder all the time, not being judged every second, and being able to just relax and have fun with those you care about.

Max couldn't help but smile when Alec made a particular comment which prompted Liz to throw one of the pillows from the couch at him.

The more Max watched the more she realized just how alike she and Liz were. The kid dressed like her, talked like her, she even moved like her. Even though they had both led completely different lives after their respective escapes from Manticore, they were still connected.

------------

It wasn't until around 2 am that the party began to wind down.

Melanie had fallen asleep on the couch and everyone else started to head up to their rooms for the night. Liz and Kim carried used dishes and discarded drinks into the kitchen, and Max was straightening up the living room.

Once everything looked back in order, Max settled into one of the over stuffed leather chairs with an antique copy of Gulliver's Travels that had been sitting on one of the many bookshelves.

Liz sauntered back into the living room with a creamy orange cashmere blanket.

"Where's Kim?" Max asked noticing the girl's absence. All night the two of them had been glued at the hip.

"She went up to bed." Liz answered, draping the blanket over her sleeping friend. "Aren't you planning on sleeping?"

"No, I'm okay. I don't normally sleep anyway." Max said with a shrug, setting the now closed book in her lap.

"Me neither usually, but I didn't really sleep when I was back at Manticore so I guess I'm catching up." Liz sighed as she crumpled into the matching armchair.

Max studied the young X-5 with a concerned gaze.

"Speaking of Manticore, are you sure you're okay?"

Liz plastered a smile on her face and turned to face her older sister. "Yeah, all the cuts and stuff are pretty much healed, and the hole in my shoulder is almost gone."

Max's gaze turned serious. "That's not what I mean, and you know it… Are YOU okay?"

The younger sibling dropped her eyes, suddenly becoming very interested in the pattern of the pillow she cradled in her lap. Her light brown hair covered her eyes and shadowed her face.

"Liz…?"

"Oh, I see you found Gulliver's Travels. That was one of my favorites when I was little. My mom… I mean Marybeth had to read it to me every night. Well it's already way past late, so I'll see ya in the morning. Goodnight!"

Before she had even finished Liz was off and out of the room with a wave and a smile. Max couldn't even get a word in before her baby sisterdissapeared down the hall.

-------

Liz tore up the stairs and down the2nd floorhall to her room. She closed the white double doors behind her and sank to the floor just as hot tears spilled down her face.

Snoopy had been curled up on her bed sleeping, but he was immediately at Liz's side. The crying transgenic pulled the faithful little beagle into her lap and buried her head into his soft fur.

She would never admit it to anyone else, but being back at Manticore had taken a huge toll on her, both emotionally and physically. She quickly composed herself, not wanting any of the keen transgenic senses in the house to pick up on her distress.

Liz wiped the salty tears from her face and started folding down the bedspread.

Snoopy looked at his master with accusing eyes.

"Don't look at me like that… I'm fine."

Snoopy sighed and curled up in his dog bed across the room. Liz changed into a soft pair of light grey sweatpants, which she had cut to just below her knee, and a black spaghetti strap top.

She removed her glasses and put them on the nightstand, before climbing into bed, where the exhausted X-5 almost immediately fell asleep.

--------

Early the next morning, Max was perched on the black marble counter in the kitchen, watching Logan whip up some blueberry waffles from scratch.

He poured the first batch onto the massive waffle iron. The hot surface sizzled as the gooey batter hit it, infusing the air with the most enticing aroma.

Logan closed the lid and turned to Max with a smile.

"So are you just going to sit there and watch, or are you going to get over here and help?"

"I could be persuaded to help." Max almost purred as she sashayed over to her homemaker husband. She planted a sexy little kiss on his lips before pulling away. "What do you need?"

Logan grinned, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. "Other than some more of that… I need a serving plate to put the waffles on."

Max kissed him again before rifling through the many cupboards. Halfway through the row of storage spaces, Max finally found a large peach colored plate, which Logan quickly filled with a layer of golden brown waffles.

The pair had just finished up and were loading dishes into the dish washer when Snoopy came running into the kitchen.

The little dog jumped up on Max's legs and started barking at her.

One word ran through Max's head as she took off up the stairs.

_Liz_.


	11. Not Again

As always the first thing I do with the new chapter is give a big thanks to the two of you who actually review, and a shout out to my newest reviewer zizzy. I love hearing the input you guys have and your thoughts on the chapters!

Now to answer a review:

Zizzy- I reread what I have and I must say I don't like the daughter parent relationship I ended up with either. I think they would be super awesome parents too, but I haven't had the chance to write it in yet (had one chance with the car thing and I totally blew it in favor of developing the Alec/Liz dynamic). I've had them so focused on Liz that it kind of fell through the story line. I am working on fixing it though, thank you for bringing it to my attention.

All disclaimers apply and please try to review! It really would mean a lot to me!

Onto the chapter!

* * *

Liz sat on the cold tile of the bathroom floor, holding her knees to her chest, waiting for the seizure to pass. The tremor shook her body violently despite the syringe of tryptophan she had already injected into her arm when Snoopy alerted.

The transgenic closed her eyes and focused on keeping her breathing as steady as she could. That was all she could do now that the seizure was at its height.

She knew Snoopy had run off to get someone, most likely Max or Kim, but Liz wished he hadn't left. She hated being alone.

-----------

_The guard laughed as he threw 218 into the isolation cell. This was her new home, a tiny three foot by three foot cement cell. _

_Liz was exhausted from the torturous events of the past few days she had been back at Manticore, but she refused to sleep. She couldn't let her guard down not even for a second. Renfro had seen to that the first day. _

_The small space was pitch black, and even with her enhanced night vision, Liz could barely make out anything. She hated the darkness. It brought back so many terrible memories, and it reminded her just how alone she was back at Manticore. _

_The transgenic leaned into the back corner of her cell and pulled her knees to her chest. She had to be strong, she couldn't let them turn her, she wouldn't. _

_The only thought that got her through that night, and all of the others in the three months she had spent in that hell, was knowing that Max would come for her no matter what. _

_------------ _

Kim was following the alluring scent of freshly made waffles to the first floor, when Max and Snoopy raced past her on the stairs. She didn't have to think twice before turning around and racing after them. She immediately knew something was wrong with Liz.

By the time Kim reached Liz's bathroom, her friend was having another full blown attack. Her body convulsed violently.

Kim was no stranger to Liz's episodes. She had been by her side through some of the transgenic's most brutal.

Liz had shifted to a lying position on the floor and Max cradled the seizing girl's head in her lap.

Kim calmly sat down next to Max and grabbed Liz's hand. Liz looked up at her long time friend and smiled through the tremor.

The shaking continued on and off for the next twenty minutes. When it was finally over Liz was still a little shaky but no worse for wear. With another injection of Tryptophan to ward off a thirdattack, Max sent her baby sister down to the kitchen with Kim.

On their way downstairs Kim noticed the blank look on Liz's face. She seemed to be off in a whole other world. Kim waved her hand in front of her friend's face.

"Hello, Earth to Liz."

Liz blinked and pushed her hand away with a smile.

"You're gunna make me fall."

Her face turned serious when she noticed a huge red mark on Kim's hand. She grabbed her wrist and stared at the mark concerned.

"God Kim, what happened?"

Kim flexed her hand and smirked. "You did. Two seconds ago."

Liz flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry."

Kim laughed and draped her arm over Liz's shoulders.

"Don't worry about it."

------

The two girls were still laughing as they walked into the kitchen. They were greeted by the mouthwatering aroma of fresh waffles and the sight of warm smiles from Mel and the Seattle crew.

They were all gathered around the large table and quickly made room for the two teens.

Liz passed on the waffles, opting for just a tall glass of strawberry milk. She really wasn't much of a breakfast person anyway.

* * *

I had planned on making this chapter longer but this is what I have so far and I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer than you already have so I just decided to post it. Hopefully the next post will be back to normal length and won't be as slow.

I am also going to bring in more of the Logan Max and Evee family dynamic since that kind of got pushed under the rug.


	12. Past Ties

As always thank you so much for the reviews! I love opening up my email and seeing the review alerts waiting for me.

I again must apologize for the long wait. I had a huge dog show this past week that has taken up a LOT of my time. Now that it is over I am going to attempt to update every other week. Hopefully that system will work out but I can't make any definate promises.

Well here's the chapter. Hope you enjoy!

All disclaimers apply and please try to review!

* * *

After breakfast, the group had taken a vote and decided to spend the day unwinding at the pool.

Still feeling a little shaky, Liz sat quietly observing everyone from her perch on the waist high stone wall that surrounded the pool area.

To anyone else it would have just seemed like another one of the parties Liz was known for throwing while her parents out of town, but the young X-5 saw something more.

This is what she had hoped for her entire life.

She was away from Manticore but not away from the family she had there. At the same time she was also surrounded by some of the people that had come to be her family on the outside.

Both of her worlds were coming together. She no longer had to choose between Elizabeth Brennemen and the X-5 known as Leigh. She could just be herself.

There was only one question left.

When it came time for her X-5 family to return to Seattle, who would she choose to be? Would she continue the life she had started here as Liz, or would she start new in Seattle and once again become Leigh?

It was a difficult decision and she just didn't have the answer right now.

Snoopy's wet nose on her foot pulled Liz out of her stupor and back into reality. She patted the beagle's head and pulled him onto her lap.

Leaning her chin on top of his head Liz voiced her thoughts.

"What am I going to do?"

------

Max couldn't help but smile at the delighted look on her daughter's face. The busy two-year-old absolutely adored the small slide that ran through the waterfall at the shallower end of the pool.

Time after time the small girl ran up the ramp to the slide. Once she was sure both her mother and father were watching Evee slid down, splashed into the clear water, and with the help of her water wings came bobbing back up to the surface.

After a plea of "Again! Again," Max would scoop her up and deposit her outside the pool where the entire process would start again.

Logan came up behind Max and wrapped his arms around her. They both smiled as Evee again called for them to watch. This time it was Logan who acted as slide chauffer for his daughter.

Max was glad they had decided to spend the day poolside. It had given her a chance to just relax and focus on Evee. Without meaning to, Max had accidentally put her daughter on the back burner for the past few months.

She had just been so involved with trying to find Liz that she hadn't even noticed what little time she was spending with her daughter.

Now that Liz was safe and they were momentarily under the Manticore radar she could relax.

--------

It was almost three when they finally decided to take a lunch break.

Declining food for the second time that day, Liz sat down at the end of the table and opened up her laptop. Four passwords and a fingerprint scan later Liz was staring at her email list.

Max noticed the furious typing and asked Liz what was up.

"I'm just checking my e-mail."

Max stood and walked up behind her little sister.

"That is a heck of a lot of security for e-mail."

Liz smiled and entered yet another password opening up a restricted folder. She explained to Max what she was doing as she scrolled through the files.

"Well it's not really just e-mail. Actually Logan would know about what I'm opening."

Logan looked up from wiping watermelon juice off of Evee's hands.

"How would I know what it is?" Handing Evee another piece of the watery pink fruit he walked over so that he too could see the screen.

Liz clicked on another file which opened up a security program that Logan was all too familiar with.

He stared at the screen with a shocked expression. "But this is…"

"Yup it's an informant security server. Something Logan gives to all of his faithful Eyes Only contacts so their internet actions can't be traced."

Max's eyes flicked from the computer screen to her husband and back again.

"Wait you're telling me that you know Logan is Eyes Only and that you're one of his informants?"

"Uh-huh. Actually I didn't know that Logan was Eyes Only until I was at the apartment and saw the equipment. That's when I put two and two together. But I've been working for Eyes Only for quite a few years. I saw footage of Seth on TV and immediately got involved."

Logan processed the information and then a glint of recognition came into his eyes. "So that means… YOU'RE Felinefox218?"

Liz laughed.

"Right again. I bet you never thought your top east coast informant, who practically handed you the Sonresa (sp) connection, was a 15 year old transgenic. Anyway since you took an Eyes Only hiatus, which now I understand why, I was using the network to find other the X-5's in our unit. It's actually how I found your address in the first place."

Max and Logan were a little shocked at the information they had just heard. After all the time Max had spent searching for her sibs, her youngest one had been right under her nose working with Logan the entire time.

As Liz flipped through the three months of unread information, the three of them laughed over the different missions they had worked together on unknowingly.

Max turned her attention to Liz when the keyboard had been silent for a moment. The look on her little sister's face made her stomach flip.

"What is it Liz?"

Liz's face had gone sheet white and she was staring at the screen in shock.

Locking watery eyes with Max, Liz slowly turned the computer toward her and Logan.

Logan searched the screen for what caused Max to gasp but didn't see anything other than rows of encrypted data and a number toward the bottom of the page.

It was the number that had caused both Liz and Max's hearts to tighten. It was a number they could never forget. Each digit jumped off the page and felt like a physical blow to the heart.

The number was 332340090210.

Jondy's barcode.

* * *

Alright now I know I promised some action in this chapter but turns out you'll have to wait for the next one. Sorry but I hope you enjoyed it anyway! 


	13. The Plan

I really again must apologize for the ridiculously long wait, but life happens and when its between school work and fan fic I have to say school work comes first.

Hope you like the chapter and please don't get mad about the lack of action the next chapter will really pick up the pace and get things moving.

Also I have a question to ask even though it will spoil the omg factor if I decide to use it. I need some feedback from you guys. When the writers originally introduced Asha they were playing around with the idea of her turning out to be Jondy in later episodes but they never played it through before the show ended. And the author of the two books also decided to leave it off in the abyss of loose ends.

So my question is should I go with the writer's original idea and have Asha turn out to be Jondy or do we not like that idea? Please let me know!

All disclaimers apply

And as always thank you so much for the reviews!

* * *

Liz's head was spinning and her heart was beating so fast she thought it was going to jump right out of her chest. Tears were streaming down her face and her hands were shaking slightly.

When she couldn't get herself to calm down, the young X-5 ran into the house.

Max and Kim immediately went after her. They found the distraught transgenic pacing frantically around the living room.

Liz was in the middle of an emotional whirlwind. So many thoughts were running through her head she could barely think straight. One thing she knew was that she had to calm down.

Her breath was already coming in short bursts, and her chest was getting tighter by the second.

She turned around to continue her pacing and ran right into Max.

"Liz, are you okay?"

Liz sat down on the couch and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just…. can't … breath."

"I'll go get your inhaler." Kim said before sprinting out of the room.

Max sat down next to panting her baby sister. "What can I do?"

"I'm okay… really. I just… got a little… overexcited… that's all. I can't… believe…. it's Jondy!"

Max grabbed Liz's hands with a tentative smile.

"Calm down. We don't need you kicking the bucket on us before we even know what it says."

Liz smiled as Kim arrived back. After a few minutes and a few puffs of Albuterol, the trio headed back out onto the patio.

--------

Little Evee came running up to her mother and grabbed her hand.

"Mommy! Mommy! Daddy's fixin the puter so we can find Auntie Jomdy!"

She tugged Max forward excitedly.

"C'mon! Come see!"

Max couldn't help but smile at the eager 3-year-old, and let her daughter drag her over to her husband.

Everyone else was gathered around computer. Without a word they made room for Max and Liz to move up behind Logan.

"Did you break the encryption yet?" Max asked.

Logan typed a few things in before answering.

"Almost…" a few more strokes of the keyboard and the message was beginning to make sense. "… got it!"

Liz practically jumped out of her skin. "What does it say?!?"

Reading the message to himself he didn't answer right away, which made Liz even more impatient.

"LOGAN!"

"It says here that on October 23 a military convoy is going to be transporting X-5210 from a facility in Washington (state) back to the main facility in Wyoming."

Max leaned in to get a better look at the screen.

"That's in three days. Does it give any details on their travel plans?"

Logan scrolled down the screen.

"It gives us everything. Travel itinerary, maps, security plans, building layouts, the whole shebang."

Liz was trying very hard not let her emotions overwhelm her.

"Well, we're going right?" Her voice got more panicked when no one answered her.

"Right?!?"

"Even if we could somehow get there in time, it's not like we could pull off a rescue. After they got ambushed when we saved you they'd be stupid not to be prepared." Alec stated, bringing her back down to Earth.

"But we can't just leave her at Manticore! We can't! Max, tell them!"

Liz's eyes were pleading with her older sister to talk some sense into the others. Max knew Alec was right; there was no way they'd be able to pull it off, but another part of her sided with Liz. She couldn't and wouldn't just let Jondy stay trapped at Manticore. There had to be a solution.

"Say we come up with a rescue plan, how do we get there in time?"

Kim nudged Liz in the ribs, and once she had her friend's attention looked to a picture through the window. Liz followed her friend's eyes and could have kicked herself for not thinking straight when she noticed what Kim was suggesting.

"We can take my dad's jet!"

Everyone was again awestruck by the lifestyle Liz lived. Not even the Cale family could afford such a luxury before they hit financial straights.

"We can be there in like less than 7 hours."

The gears in Max's head were starting to turn as she began formulating a plan.

"Is the convoy leaving from the Washington base or is it coming from the Wyoming facility?"

Logan scanned the travel information. "It's coming from Wyoming."

Max thought for a moment. "First off I'm going to say I have to agree with Alec. Hitting the transport would be a bad idea. They would be ready for us."

She could see the protest flash in her baby sister's eyes.

"But we can't just leave her there. What if we hit the Washington facility before the transport convoy even got there?"

Alec couldn't believe what he was hearing. Max was loosing her edge. Ever since Liz had stepped into the picture Max was letting her emotions overwhelm the logical side of her brain.

"Max hitting the actual base is ten times more dangerous than hitting the convoy. I can't believe you would even suggest that."

Krit started shaking his head. "Actually Alec I think it's not a bad idea we could hit the base and get out with Jondy before they ever even knew what hit them."

Before long everyone was onboard with the plan and Alec once again found himself giving in to the majority. In two days the six transgenics would be setting off for Washington in Liz's private jet to rescue Jondy.


	14. The Breakout

Hey guys I am happy to say this story is back in business. I really do apologize for the hiatus but it had to be done. Thank you guys for waiting it out You know I love ya'll.

I have one little thing to add though and it goes to a person who reviewed anon as LauraLee. Now if LauraLee is lkaplon, Chimera452Bast, StoryDreamer, Mari83, or zizzy than I apologize for this remark but this is what I have to say in response to her review on my hiatus announcement.

Laura Lee I understand that you were upset that it was on hiatus and I appreciate the thanks, but i do not appreciate the fact that the first time you have ever taken the time to actually review is to tell me that you're angry about me taking a break.

Well that's all I have to say. I made this chapter longer than I normally would have to make up a little for the long break. Hope you enjoy! And don't forget to review I love hearing from you guys!

* * *

Liz bounced her knee nervously during the entire flight. As much as she tried to, she just couldn't sit still. She ran over the plan Max had come up with over and over in her head until she was sure she had it memorized completely.

The plan was simple but effective.

Mole and Dix were meeting them at the airport with a surveillance van. Once they reached the facility, Logan and Dix were going to hack into the security system in order to minimize detection and monitor the cameras.

Mole was staying at the van and the other six transgenics were going into the facility in teams of two. Liz wasn't too happy about being paired up with Alec, but she didn't question Max's leadership.

The three teams each had their own point of entry on different sides of the facility, and thanks to the base blueprints Liz had managed to hack into through Manticore's security server, each team knew exactly where they were going in order to accomplish their assigned duties.

Max and Joshua's objective was reaching Jondy's cell and getting her out of the complex safely. Krit and Syl were charged with creating a decent sized diversion on the opposite side of the base. And last but not least, it was Alec and Liz's job to get to the computer mainframe to open Jondy's cell and then provide back up to Max and Joshua.

Both the flight and the drive to the facility were silent. Alec had attempted conversation but had been shushed harshly by both Max and Liz as soon as he had opened his mouth. Everyone was busy contemplating the task before them. Thanks to their Manticore training they were all completely professional; soldiers waiting patiently to spring into action.

On a backwoods road about a mile from the facility the group parked the van and got ready to go.

Liz felt a little silly dressed in her cameo outfit, combat boots, and painted face. Not many of the missions she had done for Eyes Only or for herself over the years involved stealth. Normally she would hit the place hard and be out so fast that she was long gone before they had even known what had just happened. Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't practiced in the art of being undetectable, it just wasn't her style

Once they made sure all their comm gear was working correctly, the transgenic soldiers set out at exactly 5:57am. They moved swiftly and silently through the trees and morning mist toward their target sides of the compound.

At promptly 6:02, Alec and Liz crept up to the fence on the north side of the facility. They made no noise even with the littering of brittle leaves at their feet. In one fluid and practiced motion Alec tossed Liz over the tall fence rimmed with razor wire.

The younger X-5 landed lightly on her feet and moved to a position hidden from the view of the passing guards. Once the patrol had rounded the corner, she signaled Alec and in less than a second he was by her side.

The pair waited for Logan to inform them that the outer alarm was off and the surveillance cameras were looped. Logan's voice crackled in their ear pieces at precisely 6:05 and the two X-5s entered the building and headed to the mainframe computers. After dispatching the single guard and the computer tech with sleeper holds, Liz got to work on the computers while Alec kept watch.

In less than five minutes, Liz set up a general access code (which they had decided upon earlier) and patched Logan and Dix through to the mainframe so they could not only monitor the cameras but the door activity as well.

Getting ready to leave the mainframe room, Alec grabbed the guard's two guns. He checked the bullets, pocketed the extra clips, and threw the extra weapon over to his partner. Liz looked at the piece in disgust and tossed it back to Alec.

"You keep it, I won't use it."

Alec shrugged and tucked the returned weapon under his belt. "Whatever."

With the first part of their assignment completed, Liz and Alec set off to join Max, Joshua, and Jondy.

They were less than halfway there when every alarm in the building suddenly came screeching to life. Alec and Liz ducked around a corner as group of security officers came rushing down the hall chattering on their walkie-talkies.

Once they were out of hearing range Liz whisper yelled into the mic attached to her sleeve. "Logan! What the hell's going on?"

Logan's voice came through the ear piece all broken and static. Something was interfering with their connection. Liz quickly disposed of the faulty equipment once it began squealing in her ear.

"C'mon Alec we have to go find Max and the others something is seriously wrong."

Abandoning their stealth technique for speed, the pair of X-5s raced to the area in the facility that housed the transport holding cells.

In less than a second after they entered the room, the two transgenics assessed the situation and moved to take action. Two soldiers were blocking the exit and had Max, Joshua, and Jondy pinned down behind some storage lockers.

Using the same method they had in the mainframe room, Liz and Alec send the two guards off to dreamland before they even knew what hit them. Liz stuck her head back out into the hall to make sure no reinforcements were headed their way, as Alec relieved the unconscious men of their firearms.

"The hall's clear. Let's move."

Liz's heart leapt when she caught sight of her long lost sister following behind Max and Joshua, but she kept it in check. They still had to get out of here in one piece. Reunions could wait until later. Alec gave the extra weapons to Joshua and Jondy, and the group of five made their way down the hall to the door Alec and Liz entered through.

Alec noticed Max was still wearing her ear piece. "Can you talk to Logan on that thing? Both of ours went dead."

Max shook her head. "Nothing but static."

With Max, Jondy, and Joshua on one side of the steel double doors and Alec and Liz on the other. Alec and Joshua pushed the doors open with guns drawn. Gunfire erupted as soon as they did and it was a miracle neither of them were hit before the group was able to pull the doors shut again.

"Well it looks like we're not getting out of here this way." Alec said with a nervous smirk.

Looking around Liz noticed the security panel on the side of the door. She walked over to it and pulled off the cover. Pulling a small device out of her pocket she looked back at Max.

"Did you grab the walkie-talkie off one of those guards?"

Max handed her sister the communication device. Liz hooked the object from her pocket to the talkie and then plugged the other end into the panel. A few keystrokes later and displayed on the small screen was a map of the facility covered with a bunch of red dots.

"Is that… is that a blueprint of the building with the locations of the security team?" Max questioned, completely in awe of Liz's skills.

"Yeah. This dot is us, these are the guards that were just shooting at us, and this…" She pointed to a dot free area on the screen. "…is our new exit."

"Well you heard the lady. Let's go." Alec said leading the group in the direction Liz had found.

Liz disconnected her device and shoved it and the walkie-talkie into her pocket. "Stay on guard guys. Those dots are only the people with comm. connections."

The exit the young X-5 had found turned out to be through the garage. Unfortunately, the doors were locked and the security code they had set up didn't work on the huge hanger-like doors. So Liz was again hacking into the security panel trying to get the door open, and the others were standing guard at the other doors that led into the garage.

Alec, who was guarding the doorway that led back to the hall they had just come from, yelled over to the young transgenic. "Uh Liz how much longer is that going to take you?"

"I dunno 40 seconds?"

"Well you better make it now, cause we've got company over here!"

Alec ducked back into the garage just in time to avoid the rounds of ammunition that came spilling in from the walkway. Alec returned fire, so that he could retreat to a more tactical position behind a hummer in the garage. The other's that had weapons joined him and kept the soldiers pinned just outside the doorway.

Max hovered just behind her baby sister. "You got it yet?"

"Just about…. There!" Liz hit enter and the garage doors slowly began to slide open.

Max yelled to the others. "C'mon guys move it."

Alec waved back at her. "Go I'll keep them pinned and give you guys a head start!"

Max headed out the door first, then Jondy, and Joshua. Alec was working his way back over to the door, and Liz hovered at the exit waiting for him, ready to close the doors from the other side as soon as he was through.

The young woman's heart stopped when she watched Alec get clipped by a bullet in the shoulder. He screamed and hit the floor grasping at the wound that was spilling blood over the concrete floor. She yelled out the door to the others.

"Joshua! Alec's hit!"

Without waiting Liz raced back into the garage and was at Alec's side. With great difficulty, she pulled him to his feet and they stumbled back behind one of the parked transport vans. As soon as they were behind it Liz stuck her head back out to see just how in trouble they were.

There were at least 4 gunman positioned behind the Hummer Alec was using as cover just seconds ago. Alec sent a few more rounds at them to keep them there. But that was it, after that they were out of bullets.

Then out of nowhere the door to their right swung open and a young guard trained his weapon on the X-5s. Liz looked around frantically trying to find a way out. Her eyes locked on a handgun a few feet to her left and just in front of her.

Without hesitation she dove for it and her only thought was please God let it be loaded. Her hand closed around the gun and the soldier got off a single shot before the bullet Liz fired ended his life.

She kneeled there staring at the body she had just stolen the life from, completely unaware of Joshua finally reaching them or the bullet embedded in her thigh.

Joshua helped Alec to his feet and then went over to Liz. "Kid we gotta move."

Liz's eyes never left the body and she made no effort to move. Joshua looked back at Alec.

"We don't have time for this big guy just grab her and let's go!"

Joshua turned back around and grabbed Liz, threw her over his shoulder, and dashed out of the building after Alec.


	15. Past Promises

Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait on this next chapter, I was hoping to get right back in business after the hiatus on this story but it was not to be and I apologize. School and my family have just been an enormous pain and I got bit by the new website bug and got a little too into my deviant art page that I didn't make enough time to work on my stories.

The good news is school is done for the semester and I have yet to get any callbacks from my aditions or job interviews so I have a lot of free time on my hands now. So hopefully we'll get back on track this time.

Hope you enjoy this chapter even though its a bit shorter than what I was aiming for! And don't forget to review I love hearing from you guys!

Putting jondy in the mix has turned out to be tougher than I thought it would be.

* * *

Liz was in hysterics by the time Joshua and Alec met up with the others back at the van. She was kicking and fighting against Joshua's hold, screaming about the man back in the garage. 

Blood from her wound soaked through the front of Joshua's shirt, but Liz didn't seem to notice.

Max and Jondy rushed over to the trio.

"Oh my God! Alec, what happened?" Max questioned, supporting Alec a little when he lost his footing.

Sinking into the back of the van, Alec grabbed a gauze pad from the first aid kit. "I got clipped in the shoulder, and when she came back for me another soldier caught us off guard.

Jondy was confused by the desperate panic in her baby sister's voice. "Yeah, but why is she freaking out like that?"

"She killed him."

It was at that moment that Liz's frantic screams became coherent. She continued to struggle in Joshua's arms.

"Please let me go! We have to go back! We have to save him!"

She locked panicked eyes with Max.

"Max please! Please, we have to go back, we have to! Max, I shot him! I shot him. We have to go back, please… please."

Joshua calmly lowered her to the ground when she broke down into sobs. Max was immediately cradling the sobbing girl in her arms.

Liz cried into Max's shoulder. "I shot him. Max…I shot him."

Max rocked back and forth in an effort to reassure her baby sister. Logan hated to interrupt, but he quietly reminded Max that unless they wanted to be staying permanently they needed to get moving.

Max agreed and with Jondy's help they walked their distraught sibling over to the van. Within a few minutes they were on the highway and on their way back to the airport.

Liz was in a daze while Max cleaned out her wound and wrapped it. She had stopped crying but Max was more worried than before. The young transgenic had lost a decent amount of blood. Her face was an ashy pale color and her brown eyes were hollow and fixed in a vacant stare.

Jondy finished with Alec's injury and turned to Max. "What do you think's wrong with her? Is she going into shock?"

Max leaned back slightly. "Honestly, I don't know. It's possible, but I have a feeling it's more psychological than it is physical."

Joshua spoke up from his seat next to Syl. "Little Fella, Leigh is very upset about killing that man to save Alec?"

Max nodded. "Yeah big fella, I think she really is."

Jondy brushed Liz's overgrown bangs out of her eyes. "She always was a sensitive kid."

Everyone in the van's attention immediately turned to Liz when she pulled her knees up to her chest. Her eyes never moved from their unseen focal point and her voice was a steady far off tone.

"Max, do you really think that soldier died? Did I really kill him?"

Max wasn't sure what to say. Based on what Alec had said the soldier Liz had shot was dead before he even hit the ground, but Max wasn't sure if she could bring herself to actually tell her little sister the truth.

Alec, on the other hand, had no such inner struggle. "He's dead Liz, get over it. You're a soldier; you simply did what you were trained to do."

Liz glared at Alec with fire burning in her eyes. "NO! That's not true! I promised! I promised I wouldn't be like them!"

Tears once again started running down her face.

Jondy didn't quite understand what the young transgenic was trying to say. "What do you mean?"

Liz looked around at the others in the van.

"When I was still at Manticore before I escaped, I promised myself I wouldn't be like them ever. I promised that I wouldn't kill."

The others were shocked by her words. Krit scoffed.

"You're telling me you've never killed anyone, ever?"

Liz dropped her eyes and studied the splashes of dried blood on her boots.

"I never have, before today."

This time Alec was the one who scoffed. "Oh come on. You mean that on all those missions you did for Eyes Only, with all the bad guys you've helped Logan bring down over the years, no one has ever ended up dead."

"That's exactly what I'm saying! That's why I don't use guns! That's why I can live with who I am every single day. That's how I can put everything that Manticore has done behind me. I thought my morality was the one thing they couldn't take away from me, but I was wrong."

Max grabbed her shoulders and made her baby sister look up at her.

"You didn't have a choice. It was either him or you. You didn't do anything wrong."

Liz shrugged Max off and turned away from everyone.

"There's always a choice."


	16. There Are Many Kinds of Pain

no comments this time. I'm getting right to the long awaited chapter.

* * *

Three days had passed since they had returned to the Brennemen manor after Jondy's rescue.

Krit, Syl, and Joshua had stayed behind and returned to Terminal City to make sure everything was still running smoothly in the rest of the group's absence, and to keep an eye on the Manticore situation.

Alec's wounds were healing up nicely and the smart mouth transgenic was pretty much back to his usual self.

Liz on the other hand was a different story.

The first two days had been touch and go. It had taken a long time for her wound to stop bleeding, and despite several stitches it continued to keep opening up.

Liz had required several transfusions to stabilize her system and was just beginning to regain the color in her face.

While her body had finally begun to recover from the trauma of the rescue, her mind was still in turmoil. She simply couldn't get over the fact that she had deliberately taken the life of that young soldier.

When the young transgenic was awake she refused to talk to anyone. She just stayed in bed and stared off into the unseen distance.

The only time any emotion could be seen on her face was when she was sleeping. Liz's dreams seemed to haunt her. In her sleep her face twisted and contorted in pain and anguish. A few times it was to the point where the young woman cried and called out in her dreams.

Max was worried about her little sister.

The fact that she was once again reunited with Jondy was tainted by the fact that Liz was so obviously hurting. The most devastating blow to the older siblings was that neither of them knew how to comfort her.

At the moment, Max and Jondy were in the kitchen with Evee trying their best to be upbeat in front of the toddler.

Apparently the little girl found ravioli extremely intriguing, especially the sound it made when hitting the floor. Jondy was doing her best to get her niece to eat the pasta instead of covering Jondy's lap and the floor with it.

Evee found that game extremely exciting, and Snoopy wasn't complaining as he helped himself to the food that found its way to the Spanish tile.

Everyone's attention shifted to the doorway as Kim walked in carrying a tray of food.

A wide smile covered Evee's face and she held out her spoon to the teen. "Kimmy! You want sum?"

Kim smiled and put the tray down on the counter. "No that's okay Evee. It's all yours."

The toddler shrugged and turned back to her project, dumping a fresh spoonful right onto Snoopy's head as Kim pulled out a chair next to Max.

"So any luck getting her to eat something?" Max asked.

Kim shook her head. "Nope, I couldn't even get her to acknowledge the fact that I came into the room." She paused to think for a moment. "It's been a long time since I've seen her this upset, and I've never seen her cling to that rabbit so much. She hasn't let go of that thing since you guys got back."

Max thought back over the odd history that surrounded the stuffed white rabbit. "I can't even believe she's kept that stupid thing this whole time."

The transgenic lost her usual cool confident resolve when she caught the lost look in Kim's eyes.

"I am so sorry Kim. It's all my fault that this happened. I shouldn't have let her come with us."

Kim laughed, causing Max to look up at her confused.

"What are you laughing about?"

"C'mon. We both know Liz never would have let you guys leave without her. She's no pushover when it comes to doing something she feels is right. You weren't going to convince her to stay behind just because it's dangerous. She's just not that kind of person. No one could have prevented what happened. The sooner you BOTH realize that, the sooner you can move on and just live your lives."

------------------

Liz hadn't heard anyone for a while and was certain everyone was out of hearing range. She gritted her teeth against the spike of pain that shot through her leg as she pushed herself into a slight sitting position.

Moving was a mistake but her back was beginning to feel tight from laying there for the past few days.

Her muscles ached and strained at the slight shift in her position and her leg wouldn't stop throbbing with the sharp pain even though a few minutes had passed.

Liz just couldn't take it anymore. The pain was excruciating, much more than she would have thought. She'd been shot before, she had the light scars to prove it, but none of those times had it ever hurt this bad.

And it wasn't just the physical pain that was crippling her but the emotional pain of having crossed that line she had drawn for herself so many years ago.

The X-5 couldn't get the sight of the soldier's blood out of her mind. In hindsight she really had no other option at the time but to shoot him. In that moment it was either him or her. Her Manticore training had kicked in, and then there was no question about who was going to come out of the stand off alive.

Liz replayed the sequence over and over in her head, every time trying to decide if there was any other scenario that resulted in Alec and her both escaping and the soldier living to tell the tale to his commanding officers.

Unfortunately every time she went through a scenario someone ended up dead, there just wasn't any other way it could have turned out. Not that that made her feel better about what had happened, she still hated herself for stealing the young man's life from him.

Her attention turned back to her leg when another sharp spike of pain shot through her body.

It just wouldn't stop, and she was sick of the pain.

Clumsily she reached over and grabbed a hold of the bottle of painkillers on her nightstand. She attempted to open the bottle and cursed the child proof cap when she couldn't apply the pressure needed to open the transparent orange container.

She growled and whipped the bottle of pills across the room with surprising force. The plastic broke when it hit the wall, sending the little pills all over the floor.

"DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT!!!" Frustrated tears spilled down her cheeks, and she choked back sobs. "Damn it all to hell!"

"Now that's not very nice."

Liz jumped and turned her head toward the voice that had interrupted her mini tantrum. Alec stood in the doorway with a small smile on his face. His arm was still in a sling, and he groaned slightly as he bent over to retrieve the half shattered bottle and the half a dozen pills that remained inside.

Liz quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks as he walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I didn't say you could come in here."

Alec shrugged with one shoulder and dumped the remaining pills into the young woman's hand.

"I didn't ask. Anyway, you sounded like you could use some help in here."

Liz recognized the look all over his face. He was trying to be his normal sarcastic self, but she could see right through his little act. Pity was plastered all over his expression.

The younger transgenic glared at him before swallowing the pills in her hand. Damn him for pitying her.

"Whoa there Tiger, pace yourself. That many pills at one time can't be good."

Liz narrowed her eyes at him even more and grabbed the bottle of water Kim had left next to her. She took a quick sip and threw her head back slightly swallowing all the pills at once.

"If you had handed me more I would have taken more. It's not like it matters anyway. We metabolize the stuff so fast; I'm surprised it even has enough time to take the edge off."

Alec couldn't argue with her reasoning, he was having the same problem himself when it came to pain management.

A few minutes had passed in silence, before Alec decided that the girl in front of him had no other remarks to spit at him. She had once again focused on the unseen object in the distance that seemed so intriguing. Alec couldn't go as far to say that he knew what she was feeling, but he knew that continuing on like she was wasn't going to accomplish anything.

He dropped the act he was trying to pull and tried to sound as sincere as he felt.

"You know everyone is really worried about you."

Alec stopped for a moment to gauge her reaction. Her expression didn't change and he tentatively continued on.

"Sitting around like this blaming yourself for what happened isn't helping the situation. And neither are your attempts to alienate yourself from the people that care about you by not saying anything or acknowledging their concerns. None of us are that easy to get rid of."


	17. Ding Dong

nothing on my end but an EXTREME apology for the LONG wait on this.

Now, onto the long awaited chapter!

* * *

Liz watched Alec leave the room and considered what he said.

He was completely right and she knew it. She would never get over the fact that she had directly taken a life, but how she was behaving wasn't doing anyone any good. She'd just have to suck it up and work through it.

Slowly and deliberately, the X-5 sat all the way up. Her leg pounded, but the pain was relatively bearable.

Pushing back the bedspread the young transgenic studied the stark white bandage that covered her wound.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the clicking of Snoopy's nails in the wood floor, and when he jumped up on the bed she let out a startled yelp.

The slight fear Liz felt was immediately washed away when she saw the face of the beagle now sitting beside her. She couldn't help but smile at the red sauce dried into his fur.

--

Alec hovered in the hall and watched as Liz stroked the little canine's head and attempted to wipe off some of the crusty sauce.

After a few moments of watching her, Alec finally walked back into the room.

"Everything alright in here?"

Liz didn't turn to face him; she just continued to stroke Snoopy's head. "Yeah, this little brat just snuck up on me."

Alec laughed under his breath. "Snuck up on you? Impossible."

She smiled at him. "Yeah I guess I'm losing my touch."

Alec made his way closer to her, and when he didn't meet any protest from the younger transgenic, he sat down next to her on the bed.

The pair sat in silence for over a quarter of an hour.

In that time Liz had begun absently petting Snoopy and the pooch had fallen asleep in her lap.

"So…" Alec started, breaking the silence. "You wanna try heading downstairs for a while?"

Liz shrugged her shoulders so slightly he almost missed it. "It couldn't hurt I guess."

--

Liz struggled to keep moving forward with Alec's help. Even though Alec was supporting most of her weight with her arm over his shoulder and his arm around her waist, every step was agony.

Every little movement sent shocks of pain through her system.

The wounded teen was exhausted by the time they had reached the bottom of the stairs, but mercifully her leg was completely numb. Her breathing was so labored that she needed to stop before it became a full blown asthma attack.

Without a word Alec pulled her onto his back and piggybacked her into the kitchen where everyone was just cleaning up dinner.

"Look who decided to snap back into reality."

Kim was ecstatic and immediately began to heat up a plate of food as Max pulled out a chair for her.

Liz stared at the food that was placed on the table in minutes and the eager faces that surrounded her.

"Ding dong!" The cheery voice of the little three year old broke the silence.

Evee looked up from twirling her cup on the table when she realized everyone was staring at her.

"What? Somnone's hewr."

Everyone could feel the panic ripple through the room at the thought of an unannounced and unexpected guest. Especially considering Kim was already here and Melanie was on vacation for another three days.

The transgenics in the room all took a second to search for any sign the toddler was right. Jondy was the first to comment.

"I don't hear anything."

Logan leaned down so that he was eyelevel with his daughter. "Evee, it's not nice to make up stories like that."

The hazel eyed little girl laughed. "Daddy, yur silly."

They all practically jumped out of their skin when the back door slid open with a bang.

"James! How many times do I have to tell you not to push that door so hard!" A shrill voice scolded.

"Sorry Mom."

Liz shot up out of her chair with a gasp. "Mom!"

--

Liz's heart jumped into her throat and went into overdrive when she saw her mother and little brother standing across the kitchen. For a moment she was glad Joshua had stayed in Seattle. Just explaining to her adoptive family what had gone on in the last few months was going to be hard enough, without having to explain a transgenic that had a pinch too much canine DNA in his cocktail.

After taking in the scene in front of them James made a _tsk tsk_ noise as he threw his stuff on the counter. "You are so busted."

Liz scowled at her adoptive sibling. "Shut up James!" She turned her attention back to her mother. "Mom, it's not what it looks like."

The middle aged woman narrowed her eyes at the teen and crossed her arms over her chest.

"And if it's not what it looks like, then just what is it?"

Knowing from experience what was about to go down, Kim stood up and attempted a stealthy exit. Even though this wasn't the overnight party Liz's mother thought it was, the last party they had thrown ended up busted and Kim had spent the following semester on strict house arrest after Mrs. Brennemen had informed her parents of the teen duo's actions.

Unfortunately, this time wasn't any different than before and Mrs. Brennemen wasn't going to let her get very far.

"Kimberly Ann, you come right back over here and take a seat."

Kim quickly did as she was told. "Yes Ma'am."

James snickered. "Nice try there Kim." He grabbed an apple from the basket on the counter and headed off to his bedroom. Or so he thought.

"Hold it right there mister. You really don't expect me to believe you didn't know anything about this."

"Mom, I've been at school two states away. How could I have possibly known what the _golden child_ over there was up to?"

The unconvinced parent looked to her older daughter for confirmation. Despite the fact that dragging James down with her would be the perfect payback for all the times he had drug her into trouble, she couldn't do it.

"He didn't have anything to do with it, as much as I would have appreciated a heads up."

"Fine. James, you can go."

With a smirk James made his way over to the exit. "Sweet. Later trouble makers."

He stopped short when he reached the other side of the table and saw the growing pool of red Liz was standing in. He followed the line of blood up her leg and to the deep scarlet blotch on the leg of her shorts.

His face went pale. "Shit Sis, you're bleeding. What the hell happened?"

All eyes in the room were instantly on the red liquid that was slowly creeping along the tile floor.

Liz was the most surprised. She hadn't even realized the wound had opened back up, let alone the fact that she had lost such a large amount of blood so quickly. The shocked transgenic touched the crimson stain on her shorts and then stared at the blood that coated her finger tips. She seemed to be entranced by the sticky substance.

Jondy took a cautious step forward. "Liz?"

The teen looked up at her sister and Jondy gasped as her little sister's eyes rolled back into her head and she swooned backward.

James just barely caught her before she hit the floor.

* * *

TBC...


	18. Truths Revealed

I want to give everyone an **EXTREME** apology for the **LONG** wait on this.

I also want to let you know that this story is coming to an end and could be wrapping up as soon as the next chapter or two. There is a sequal in the works, but its in its early stages of development so it could be a while.

Now, onto the chapter!

* * *

_She was finally out of the pitch black cell, she just wasn't sure if that was a good thing. The transgenic teen glared at Renfro through the bars of the even smaller cell she found herself in._

_Cell was actually too grand a word; it was simply a small cage. In all seriousness she was positive some of Snoopy's crates back home were bigger. _

_Her head was spinning. Between the beating she took in her attempt to prevent the guards from putting her into the tiny cage and the drugs Renfro had pumped into her she was shocked she was still lucid. _

_Although, Liz almost wished she was unconscious. Then she wouldn't be on the brink of panic. She hated the dark, but she was absolutely terrified of small spaces. And you didn't get much smaller than the barred box she was now trapped in._

_Trying to be as subtle as possible Liz glanced over the cage, calculating its weak spots. She was in Renfro's office. No guards just her and Renfro, who was completely focused on the paperwork in front of her._

_This was as good a time as any to attempt a break out. She doubted she'd get very far but at the very least she could pay Renfro some of what she had coming to her._

_Almost silently Liz shifted positions and began putting pressure on one corner of the cell with her feet. She was thrilled when there was a slight give in the metal joint and applied more pressure with her legs. Slowly but surely the X-5 worked the bars with what little strength she could find. There wasn't much give but there was more than when she had started and that small glimmer of hope urged her onward._

--

It was a few hours before Liz regained consciousness. When she did she was once again patched back up and the others had finally discovered and removed the tiny bullet fragment that was the cause of her continuing problems.

It took her a moment before she realized that James was watching her from the other side of the room. He had an odd look on his face and seemed to be considering something in his mind. Liz's heart sped up. She knew that look, it was one she dreaded seeing on the faces of the ones she loved.

She immediately knew that while she was out the others had explained just what had happened. This meant her adoptive family was finally completely aware of her secret.

The only three people in her life as Elizabeth Brennemen that were completely informed as to who she really was were her Aunt, Melanie, and Kim. Her mom had a vague idea regarding the circumstances that brought Liz here so many years ago, but her Aunt had never completely informed her. And Liz didn't see the need to ever elaborate on the subject.

As for the rest of the family and the rest of the people in her life, she was simply a gifted child that the family had adopted after they were unable to have more children.

Which is exactly how she wanted it, and the look on James's face was why. She didn't know what to do or what to say and she could feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"James I…"

He stopped her with a wave of his hand and stood up. "Don't. Just don't okay."

He locked accusing eyes with her one more time before stalking out the door and down the hall.

As soon as James left the room, Liz felt an overwhelming sense of loss. She could no longer hold back the tears that burned hot in her eyes. Her entire body shook as she sobbed.

"I just passed James on the stairs and…"

Kim stopped mid sentence when she saw the state her friend was in. "Oh honey, what happened?"

She sat in front of Liz and hugged her tight, patiently waiting for the sobbing transgenic to compose herself.

Close to ten minutes had passed before the sobbing at her shoulder began to fade into deep shuddering breaths. Cautiously, she asked her question again.

"Liz, what happened?"

With one last deep breath the X-5 pulled away from Kim. She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and faced Kim.

"He knows, he knows and now he hates me for it."

Kim put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "No he doesn't. He just… needs some time that's all."

Liz batted her hand away and stood up. Her legs barely held her, but she ignored the pain. "That's not true and you know it!"

She hobbled over to the chair across the room and sunk down into it. Hair fell over her eyes as she looked downward and started pulling at the hem of her sleeve.

"He hates them… Us. They both do." Her voice was low and filled with grief. "Everyone does."

--

The memories were fresh even though several years had passed. It was back when the transgenics had just been revealed to the world. Everyone had seen the terrible footage of the transgenic that had "attacked" a group of sector police in Seattle.

Liz had watched alongside her family as the story broke and the clips were played across the nation.

Everyone was gripped by a deep set fear. Her parents and brother by the sight of the "freak" before them, and Liz by the deadly force the police had used to subdue him.

That day everything changed.

The entire town was in a panic, terrified that the transgenics were out to get them. It was decided that a guard of sorts would be set up in order to protect the community. The families took turns and set up and around the clock guard of three armed men posted at the gate.

Liz had immediately thought the plan was ridiculous. Seriously, what transgenic would even bother to show up here in the first place, and NONE of them would be stupid enough to waltz right in through the front gate.

Unfortunately revealing her thoughts meant her secret being revealed and she didn't see the harm in letting the people have their way if it made them feel safe.

A few weeks later, Mr. Brennemen said goodnight to his family and headed to the gate for his scheduled guard duty shift.

That night, as the family slept, there was a terrible car accident. Mr. Brennemen lost his life after pulling one of the passengers from the burning car to safety, when the car exploded just as he reached it in an attempt to free the driver.

The town had hailed him as a hero for his selfless act, but Liz's mother and especially her brother blamed the transgenics for his father's death.

--

Kim knew what Liz said was true. James, her mother, the entire town hated the transgenics.

But Kim had to believe that simply finding out who Liz really was couldn't possibly cancel out the fact that up until that moment they had both loved her and called her their own.

For the sake of her friend she hoped she was right.

* * *

**TBC...**


	19. Falling Apart

Alright guys here it is, one of the last chapters of the story. The next chapter is the final chapter and should be close on the tail of this post. I'm hoping to get it up in the next week or so.

There is a sequal in the works, but its in its early stages of development so it could be a while.

Now, onto the chapter!

* * *

Without invitation Kim slipped into the chair with her distraught friend. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Liz sighed and leaned back in the chair. There were fresh tears streaming down her cheeks.

"My whole world is collapsing around me."

Kim draped an arm over her shoulders. "It will all work out, you'll see."

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James was angry.

Actually he was more than angry, he was seething. His own sister was one of _THEM_ and he hadn't even known it. All of this time _THEY _were in his house and he was clueless.

Even after what had happened to his father she had kept her identity a secret and not told him.

For a moment the rational side of his brain kicked in. What was he really mad about, the fact that she was one of _them,_ or the fact that she hadn't trusted him enough to tell him the truth?

The moment was gone however when he saw the others still gathered in the kitchen. His mother had let them stay despite what _their kind_ had done to their family and it just revved up his anger another notch.

He needed to get out of the house for a while before he killed something.

As he passed the living room he was vaguely aware of Snoopy jumping off the couch and following him to the front door and down the driveway.

A few minutes later he was pulled out his angry thoughts by a sharp bark beside him. He glared at the canine that had stopped walking and was now slightly behind him.

"Oh Shush!" He hissed.

Snoopy barked one more time trying to warn him, but it was too late and James plowed right into Melanie who was walking up toward the house with a tower of boxes. When they collided the boxed went tumbling to the ground, and Melanie barely stayed on her feet.

The girl huffed and put her hands on her hips as if scolding the packages for falling. "Drats!" In the next second she was all smiles. "Sorry about that James. I couldn't see where I was going."

She bent over and started picking up the boxes. Snoopy brought the smallest one over to her and she patted him on the head. In exchange for the little box she gave him the bone she had brought him and the Beagle trotted happily back up to the house.

"I actually wasn't supposed to be back this soon, but our trip got cut short. Luckily I…"

She stopped when she finally looked up and saw the look on James's face. She immediately knew.

"Oh God, you know don't you?"

James's eyes went so wide she thought they were going to fall out of their sockets.

"You knew!?!" He yelled. "You knew what she was and you didn't tell me!?!"

Melanie shrank back a bit, intimidated by his harsh tone. "It wasn't my secret to tell."

"Don't give me that shit Melanie! How long have you known? Did you know before the accident?!"

The anger in his voice and on his face made Melanie nervous about answering him. "I've known for a long time James."

"And you're okay with it?! She's one of _THEM_ Mel! She's not even human, and you're still friends with her?! How is that even remotely okay?"

Melanie didn't appreciate the tone his voice had taken or the fact that he was referring to Elizabeth as one of _them_ and not even human.

"Yes James, it is okay. In fact, in my book it's MORE than okay. I was as shocked as you were when I found out, but it didn't change anything. She is still our Elizabeth. She's still the girl that I grew up with and love like a sister. Knowing her past doesn't change our shared past or our present. Human or transgenic, us or _them_, she is still my best friend and I really can't believe that you'd even remotely think that would change." She said defensively.

Melanie took a moment giving him a chance to respond. When he didn't, she just shook her head and bent back down, gathering up the fallen boxes. After grabbing the last of them and adding it to the pile, Melanie pulled out the one with his name on it. She handed it to him rather harshly.

"This is for you. I'm going to go see your SISTER now."

With that she picked up the rest of the packages, turned sharply on her heel, and headed up to the house. After taking a moment to pass out the bulk of her gifts to the group huddled in the kitchen, Melanie headed upstairs with Snoopy at her heels.

Liz and Kim looked up when Snoopy came trotting into the room. When Melanie came in behind him both girls' faces immediately lit up, and they practically tackled her just inside the doorway.

Once the initial "OMG you're back" chatter, the room went silent for a few moments. In the silence Liz avoided the concerned looks she knew her friends were giving her, but she couldn't avoid the emotions that built up because of them.

It wasn't long before she was crying again, wrapped up in the arms of the two closest friends she had. It took a while for her to regain her composure but once she did Liz voiced the question that was bothering her.

"What am I going to do guys?"

* * *

**TBC**


	20. Finally Home?

All three of them looked up at the small knock at the door. There in the doorway was Mrs. Brennemen,

"Can I interrupt you three for a minute?"

Kim pulled Mel over to the door. "Sure Mrs. B. We'll just wait in the hall."

Mrs. Brennemen stepped aside for the girls and closed the door behind her, before walking over to her adopted daughter. She immediately pulled her into a tight hug.

"I love you so much Elizabeth. I hope you know that."

Liz hugged her back. "Yeah I know Mom."

Mrs. Brennemen sighed and practically choked on a sob. "I love you more than you could possibly imagine, and nothing can ever change that. But I can't let you and your friends stay here anymore."

She held her daughter tighter when the teen buried her head into her shoulder and she felt the hot tears soaking her clothes. "I am so, so sorry. I just don't see any other way."

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Two days later and everything was packed and ready to go. Liz didn't pack everything though; she just took whatever ended up fitting in the trailer they were pulling her bike and Snoopy's crates in.

No one was quite sure how Liz felt about what had gone down in the past few days. Kim and Melanie had stayed at the house along with Mrs. Brennemen, who was doing her best to be a gracious host despite her feelings about transgenics.

Her brother James on the other hand, had hightailed it to the estate and was avoiding the situation entirely.

The rest of the group was just hanging in limbo, helping where they could, and keeping little Evee entertained. Which wasn't too hard of a task on the big property.

They were ready to pull out just before noon and everyone, with the exception of James, was gathered in the driveway.

With a calm reserve no one expected, Liz said goodbye to Mrs. Brennemen, who was in tears.

Both tears and smiles were exchanged between Mel, Kim, and Liz when it came time to say their goodbyes. The bond the three shared reminded Max of her relationship with Original Cindy.

The two girls were reluctant to let go of their friend and repeatedly insisted that they WERE coming to visit soon and often. They weren't going to let go of their surrogate sister as easily as her adoptive family was.

With a somber glance behind her, Liz called Snoopy into the car and the rest of the group followed.

Logan started the car and they began the long drive back to Seattle.

As they passed through the front gate Jondy felt like someone needed to say something to the younger X-5 who was staring blankly out the window.

She put her hand on Liz's knee reassuringly.

"Don't worry Liz, they'll come around eventually. Just give them some time."

Liz sighed. "No they won't, and it doesn't matter anyway. The part of my life as Elizabeth Brennemen is over. I have to just let it go and go back to being Leigh. There is no returning to my life as a regular young woman in Ohio, not after that. My mom and brother aren't the only ones, the entire town would turn their backs if they knew. There is nothing for me there now. Sure Mel and Kim are there but I can 't go back, as much as I would like to."

Liz's words hit Max's heart like an icy knife. Max completely understood just what the young woman was feeling. Over the years there were so many she had to leave behind. Mrs. Barret and Lucy, the kids and Moody from LA, Seth, Ben, Tinga, Zack, sometimes she wondered how her heart just didn't shatter.

Even though she knew Liz would have a difficult road ahead of her, she couldn't help but be slightly excited. She hated herself for thinking it, but the truth was Liz's loss was her gain. Six months ago she had been content but restless at the same time not knowing the fate of Jondy and Liz. Once Liz found her things just seemed to fall into place and in no time she had Jondy back as well.

Max knew she was being selfish, but she was happy.

Finally her lost sisters had returned.

---------------- the end -----------------


End file.
